Steep rise in young rough sleepers in London

Data published by the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain) found that between April and June 2020, there were 449 children and young people aged under 25 sleeping rough in the capital.

The figure for the second quarter of the year is 81 per cent higher than for the same period in 2019 (248), and 48 per cent higher than in the previous quarter (304).

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The rise in the number of under-25s sleeping rough is significantly higher than the figure for all age groups – amongst all rough sleepers the rise was 33 per cent on a year ago and 14 per cent compared to the final quarter of 2019.

Youth homelessness charity Centrepoint said the Chain figures were particularly concerning because they covered the period affected by the pandemic lockdown when rough sleepers were provided with emergency accommodation such as hotels through the government’s ‘Everyone In’ initiative, but which has now ended.

Seyi Obakin, chief executive of Centrepoint, said: “It’s hugely worrying to see such a steep increase in the number of young people left with no option but to sleep rough and, with government policy focussing increasingly on entrenched rough sleepers, it’s vital more specialist support is made available for under 25s. 

“At the beginning of the pandemic the government showed what can be done when there is the political will required to end rough sleeping. Those early initiatives averted a human tragedy but, to prevent one unfolding on the streets of our towns and cities in the coming months, ministers must rediscover that ambition to ensure charities and councils can support those facing homelessness.”

The Chain data shows that the proportion of first-time rough sleepers had risen this year by 77 per cent compared with last year and by 46 per cent from March.

Obakin added that the figures represent a “tip of the iceberg” because of the potential economic fallout of coronavirus.

Previous Centrepoint research found that local authorities are bracing themselves for further increases in homelessness as a result of people losing jobs due to the pandemic. 

Chain is a multi-agency database recording information about rough sleepers and the wider street population in London. It is commissioned and funded by the Greater London Authority and managed by homelessness charity St Mungo’s.