The number of people estimated to be sleeping rough has fallen for a fourth year in a row. 9% down from 2020, and 49% from the peak in 2017.
The count, comes from local authority figures collected through data collected in Autumn 2021, estimates there was 2,440 people sleeping rough on a single night. People estimated to be in emergency & short-term accommodation in November is also down 5,490 people or 56% from the same period last year.
These figures do not include people in a hostel, night shelter, temporary accommodation, or sofa surfing on the night of the count. However, most concerningly, the numbers are up a substantial 38% from when the figures first began.
While the success of the Everyone In scheme over the last two years is evident in recent decline, the numbers are still too high.
The government has set targets to end rough sleeping by 2024 and although progress towards this target has been accelerated by the pandemic, the target will not be reached at the current rate of decrease.
Without additional support, hundreds of thousands of people could be faced with the trauma of losing their homes. We need decisive action from government to prevent a new wave of people forced to sleep rough and to support the thousands of people still forced to live without a home.
