Rough sleepers up by 15% (and a quarter were born abroad)

THERE were nearly 5,000 people sleeping rough on the streets last autumn, according to an official count yesterday.

The rise of 617 in a year in England was called ‘appalling’ and ‘a catastrophe’ by charities.

More than a quarter of street sleepers, including more than half in London, were foreign citizens, mainly from Eastern Europe.

The breakdown, which is heavily based on estimates, also showed that fewer than one in ten rough sleepers was under 25.

The total of 4,751 was up 15 per cent on the 2016 total of 4,134 and is the highest since records began in 2010.

Just under a quarter were in London and more than three-quarters of those questioned in the capital had alcohol, drug or mental health problems.

The figures published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government suggest that street sleepers are overwhelmingly likely to be older men and a high proportion are from Eastern Europe. Only 14 per cent were women and 8 per cent were aged under 25. Some 16 per cent, or 760, were EU citizens.

Another 4 per cent were from outside the EU and a further 8 per cent were not from the UK but did not give their nationality.

The analysis relies heavily on estimates drawn up by councils aided by the police, voluntary groups and the umbrella charity Homeless Link.

The report said local counts and estimates carried out over single nights in October and November last year pointed to 4,751 rough sleepers.

The Ministry acknowledged that counting or estimating street sleepers was ‘inherently difficult’ and the figures were ‘subject to some limitations’. But the total drew outrage from charities and campaigners.

Jon Sparkes, of Crisis, said: ‘It is truly a catastrophe that in a country as prosperous as this, more and more people are forced to sleep in dangerous and freezing conditions.’

Rick Henderson, chief executive of Homeless Link, said: ‘This rise in rough sleeping is appalling with a saddening growth in the number without a safe place to stay and at risk of deteriorating mental and physical health. We have a long way to go if rough sleeping is to be eliminated altogether.’

Polly Neate, of Shelter, said: ‘We have failed as a society when so many people are forced to sleep rough.’

Labour’s housing spokesman John Healey blamed decisions made by Conservative minis- ters, such as ‘ crude cuts to housing benefit and a refusal to help private renters’.

But social researcher and author Patricia Morgan was sceptical about the numbers.

‘There has been no proper investigation into rough sleeping,’ she said.

‘Many are getting support but not taking advantage of it. Charities depend on grants from the Government and have an incentive to exaggerate the figures.

‘A large number of rough sleepers come from Eastern Europe. We have been importing other countries’ problems.’

The report included a separate analysis of rough sleeping in London by charities. This found that across the whole year to April 2017 there were 8,108 rough sleepers in the capital, similar to the previous year.

Nearly 60 per cent were seen only once during the year. Of those who gave a nationality, 53 per cent were foreign and 30 per cent were Eastern European.

A spokesman for Theresa May said more than £1billion was being provided to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

‘We have failed as a society’