This morning stats were released showing the number of rough sleepers in London from April 2021 to March 2022. The CHAIN stats are released quarterly, but this morning’s release was a yearly review.
The key stats are:
– 707 young people aged 16 – 25 were seen sleeping rough in London, from April 2021 to March 2022.
– The number of young people who were sleeping rough in London has decreased by 35%, compared to the previous financial year (April 2020-March 2021) – 1,093 young people were seen rough sleeping in London that year.
Billy Harding, Policy and Research Manager at Centrepoint, said:
“We welcome the fact that the number of young rough sleepers in the capital has been getting smaller. It just goes to show what can happen with the right kind of will and investment – organisations can start to drive an end towards rough sleeping.
“However, we know that the numbers of young people picked up by the CHAIN stats are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to youth homelessness in London. There are many more young people who sofa are surfing, staying awake on night buses, and those who are experiencing other examples of hidden homelessness.
“These figures through CHAIN and the Rough Sleeping Snapshot shine a valuable light on levels of rough sleeping and street homelessness. However this is not enough, and we need to see attempts to measure all kinds of homelessness affecting young people. It is only then that the government, local councils, charitable organisations and all other parties with a responsibility to do so, can end youth homelessness for good.”
