Rising rents blamed for make rough sleeping problem worse

Rising rents blamed for make rough sleeping problem worse


Todays other news

A charity says rising rents are one of the key factors leading to growing numbers of people sleeping rough.

Figures from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network show that the number of people living in the streets in London from October to December 2024 was 704 – that’s a 26% rise on the same period last year. 

The data shows that compared to five years ago (October-December 2019), the total number of people living on the streets has increased 55%, from 455 to 704. 

Overall, the number of people forced to sleep rough in London from October to December 2024 was 4,612– a 5% rise from the same period last year.  

The number of people sleeping rough for the first time in London between October to December was 2,115, down 7% compared to the same time last year. 

The charity Crisis claims there are several factors which are forcing people to sleep rough and remain stuck on the streets. It says: “This includes rising rents, benefits falling short of housing costs, and gaps in support services such as those for mental health and domestic abuse.”

It says underpinning all of these issues is a lack of safe and affordable housing which is causing a rise in all forms of homelessness across England. In 2023/24, over 320,000 households in England faced homelessness – the highest on record and an increase of 8% on the previous year. 

Crisis, alongside other housing and homelessness charities, has long called for an additional 90,000 social rented homes to be built every year to end homelessness, alongside providing the support people sleeping rough need to find and keep a home.  

The charity’s chief executive Matt Downie says: “No one should be forced to spend a night on the streets, let alone have to live there permanently. It’s shameful that one of the most dangerous forms of homelessness is continuing to rise, yet like all other forms it is completely preventable.  

“We need an ambitious national strategy that sets delivering more social housing that people can afford at its heart. This would not only prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place, but it would also mean that people rough sleeping now can be housed more quickly and be able to leave the streets behind for good. 

“There are already promising commitments and action underway to end rough sleeping in London. But the increasing number of people on our streets shows that we desperately need to shift our focus to looking at the causes of homelessness, so we can put in place measures to stop people from ever reaching this crisis point. These steps, alongside building more genuinely affordable homes, will end the damage that homelessness causes to people’s lives.” 

Share this article ...

Join the conversation: Login and have your say

Want to comment on this story? Our focus is on providing a platform for you to share your insights and views and we welcome contributions. All comments are screened using specialist software and may be reviewed by our editorial team before publication. Letting Agent Today reserves the right to edit, withhold or delete comments that violate our guidelines, including those that harass, degrade, or intimidate others. Users who post such content may be banned from commenting.
By commenting, you agree to our Commenting Terms of Use.
Subscribe to comments
Notify of
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Recommended for you
Related Articles
There are 48 units in this grade II listed block...
The council is facing a growing homeless crisis as landlords...
The successful candidate started in property back in 2018...
Two great causes will receive funds as a result of...
The Welsh Government is backing the call for a 'compensation'...
There will be a series of leasehold reforms announced in...
Recommended for you
Latest Features
A consultation document is being released today....
Propertymark says an audit can take stress out of HMRC...
There are 48 units in this grade II listed block...
Sponsored Content
Tenants want a place they can call home—somewhere comfortable, safe,...
Letting agencies face the dual challenge of keeping both landlords...
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x

Send to a friend

In order to send this article to a friend you must first login. Click on the button below to login or sign up.

No one likes pop-ups ...
But while you're here