Rough sleeping reaches highest numbers on record
The stark reality of the homelessness crisis in the UK
Latest rough sleeping data shows the highest number on record with 4,793 people counted on a single night last autumn. Some Hackney Night Shelter staff participated in this count. Numbers of people sleeping on the street in the UK have been on the rise for the past four years.
These figures are part of a much bigger picture of homelessness and housing insecurity as they don't account for the many people who don't bed down and sleep in a public place; those sofa surfing, sleeping on buses and in hospital waiting rooms, for example. Behind all the numbers are real people in crisis.
The need for Hackney Night Shelter's free emergency accommodation service open every night of the year is therefore as great as ever. As many organisations across the sector have shared, there is a clear need to address the drivers of homelessness to deliver lasting solutions to this crisis - particularly tackling the cost of living crisis and the lack of affordable housing.
Additionally, more women were seen rough sleeping with an 8% increase from the previous year. At Hackney Night Shelter we are planning to open a new women's shelter as soon as possible alongside the 20-bed shelter. We hope to accommodate at least 8 more women each night and provide routes out of homelessness.
Image by Blast Design
