Ashford one of the hot spots for homelessness

Ashford has one of the highest numbers of homeless people in Kent, according to new figures.

A charity dubbed the county’s homelessness statistics as ‘shocking’ as it revealed 2,500 people were without a permanent roof over their heads.

The homeless charity Shelter has released research showing 2,634 people in the county are either sleeping rough, have no home or are in emergency accommodation.

Ashford, Dartford, Medway and Thanet are all mentioned as areas where the problem is most prevalent.

The data shows that in Dartford there are nine rough sleepers and 642 total homeless people.

That number decreases a little for Ashford, where there are eight rough sleepers and 492 people who do not have permanent homes.

There are bigger numbers in Medway, with 1,059 total homeless and 14 people who have nowhere to lay their heads at all.

Finally, 33 people in Thanet are rough sleepers and the number of people who don’t have homes stands at 441.

Shelter chief executive Polly Neate said: “It’s shocking to think that today, almost 28,000 people in the South East are waking up homeless.

“Some will have spent the night shivering on a cold pavement, others crammed into a dingy hostel room with their children, and many are simply unaccounted for.

“On a daily basis, we speak to people and families who are desperately trying to escape the devastating trap of homelessness – a trap that is tightening thanks to decades of failure to build enough affordable homes and the impact of welfare cuts.

“As this crisis continues to unfold, the work of our frontline advisers remains absolutely critical. We will do all we can to make sure no-one is left to fight homelessness on their own. But we cannot achieve this alone. We urgently need the public’s support to be there for everyone who needs us right now.”

The charity’s public affairs officer, Poppy Terry, said: “Daily, we speak to families who are desperately trying to escape homelessness.

“Our services are working tirelessly to try and help people, but there are so many people who need our help.

“Taking a look at some of the statistics we’ve got highlights where people are homeless. They’re shocking numbers.

“We’re in the grips of a homelessness crisis because of welfare cuts combined with not enough homes being built.”

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Research shows Ashford has eight rough sleepers and 492 people without permanent homes