143 people died without a secure home in London last year, a decrease of just 1 from the year before.
604 males and 84 women were estimated to have died last year, decreases of 83 and 7 respectively on deaths recorded in 2019.
Balbir Chatrik, youth homelessness charity Centrepoint’s Director of Policy, said:
“While the number of homeless young people who died last year is thankfully low, the fact remains that, even at a conservative estimate, almost twenty vulnerable young people lost their lives.
“This Christmas a record level of 29,000 under 25’s could find themselves homeless and facing impossible choices as they look for somewhere safe to stay. It simply does not have to be like this. And, with the cold weather drawing in, the government should be acting now to stop it. So far, we have seen far too little funding and planning for severe weather and shelters, never mind provisions for the most vulnerable young people who are too scared to access all age accommodation.
“If we want to see more young people escaping homelessness and ensure fewer die on the streets we need a clear strategy. With more young people than ever facing homelessness, and little concerted investment in age-appropriate services, the risk for tragedy is significant.”
