The variety of tough sleepers in London has risen by 21% in a yr amid the deepening cost-of-living disaster, Mayor Sadiq Khan has warned.
Evaluation by Metropolis Corridor suggests there have been 5,712 folks on the capital’s streets between April and September – a rise of greater than a fifth from the identical interval final yr.
It’s understood these figures are chosen statistics forward of a full knowledge launch on Monday.
Mr Khan is urging the Authorities to take fast motion to sort out rising payments and housing prices and deal with the escalating homelessness disaster.
Among the many measures he’s demanding is a direct freeze on non-public rents, lifting the advantages cap, and delivering the promised reforms to housing legal guidelines, together with ending Part 21 evictions – so-called “no fault” evictions whereby landlords repossess their properties at brief discover and with out good motive.
The Mayor mentioned 13,500 folks have been helped off the capital’s streets since 2016, with eight in 10 staying housed for good.
He praised the “unsung heroes” of outreach employees, charity groups, healthcare professionals and council workers, however mentioned that, regardless of the progress, extraordinary monetary pressures are placing London’s poorest folks in danger.
“We proceed to see a revolving door of individuals ending up homeless on account of this escalating cost-of-living disaster,” he mentioned.
“This can’t be allowed to proceed. This new Authorities should act now to stop the circumstances that result in folks sleeping tough earlier than hundreds extra are compelled to face a winter on the streets.”
Rebecca Sycamore, interim chief govt of St Mungo’s, mentioned: “As a number one homelessness charity whose groups are attempting to get folks off the streets each day, St Mungo’s sees the very actual and really harsh actuality of this monetary disaster all the time.
“And, with extra value will increase, it is vitally probably lots of these at present simply scraping by will not be capable to handle, and could possibly be at actual threat of shedding their properties and experiencing a really harsh winter.
“Motion is required now. We wish to see the Authorities uplift advantages consistent with inflation, enhance the profit cap and unfreeze Native Housing Allowance charges.
“We urge the Prime Minister and his ministers to behave as a matter of urgency to stop extra folks ending up homeless this winter.”
Rick Henderson, chief govt of Homeless Hyperlink, the nationwide membership charity for frontline homelessness organisations in England, mentioned: “Everybody deserves a protected place to reside and the help they should hold it. However the rising price of dwelling is exacerbating the long-term drivers of homelessness in London, akin to an absence of genuinely reasonably priced housing and a poorly funded welfare system.
“In gentle of those statistics, the Authorities should uplift homeless providers’ funding consistent with inflation to assist them reply to the rising demand, in addition to tackling the fast root causes of homelessness akin to reforming the non-public rental sector and uplifting advantages.
“Within the long-term we additionally have to see motion on creating many extra genuinely reasonably priced properties; in any other case this disaster will proceed to spiral.”