Homelessness levels in London are at risk of reaching record highs

Mayor of London has announced the number of people sleeping rough in the capital has increased by 21% and urgently needs to be addressed as the cost-of-living bites.   

New statistics released by City Hall from the GLA-commissioned Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN), show over 5000 people are sleeping rough in London despite record numbers being removed from sleeping rough in the city between April and September 2022.  

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, is urging the government to take immediate action to tackle rising bills to prevent people losing their homes.

Mr Khan is calling on the government to:

• Immediately freeze private sector rents
• Deliver the promised reforms to the Private Rented Sector, including ending Section 21 evictions
• Give local authorities the funding needed to meet their duties under the Homelessness Reduction Act
• Stop refugees and asylum seekers being pushed into homelessness, which includes extending the ‘move-on’ period for newly recognised refugees to 56 days
• Suspend the ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ condition

Sadiq Khan is also demanding the government reinstate the social security safety net, which includes lifting the benefit cap, unfreezing Local Housing Allowance rates and suspending the habitual residence test, that can restrict access to benefits for European Economic Area nationals with rights to live in the UK.

Despite a record 13,500 people having been helped by City Hall rough sleeping services in 2016, London services are now at capacity.

As well as helping over 13,000 individuals, during the COVID-19 pandemic more than 10,000 people were helped off the streets and accommodated into hotels by City Hall and London boroughs.

However, the Mayor warns if ministers don’t act now, all the progress City Hall has made could be reversed.

Lee Buss-Blair, Director of Operations at the Riverside, the largest provider of accommodation for people affected by homelessness in England, said: ‘It is incredibly concerning that the number of people sleeping rough on the streets of London has already risen by more than a fifth and that we have lost the hard-won progress made during the pandemic.

‘With the Bank of England and other economic experts forecasting a recession, it is inevitable that even more people are likely to be affected by homelessness and rough sleeping without direct government intervention.’

The Mayor has set up services in the capital city to help Londoners through the financial crisis and is spending more than £80m this year. This includes £50m going into the Warmer Homes programme and energy advice services.   

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “Since I was elected Mayor, around 13,500 people have been helped off our capital’s streets with eight in ten staying off the streets for good.

‘Our outreach workers, charity teams, healthcare professionals and council staff are not only vital partners in this work but unsung heroes and deserve our heartfelt gratitude. 

‘Despite this progress, extraordinary financial pressures are putting the poorest Londoners at growing risk of homelessness with the number of people sleeping rough already up by a fifth year on year.

Other homelessness organisations, including The Kerslake Commission, are also urging the government to treat rough sleeping with urgency as costs are set to continue to rise by the end of the year. 

Photo by Nick Fewings