Crisis welcomes rough sleeper count reform
16 June 2010
Housing Minister Grant Shapps’ plans to change the way rough sleepers are counted has been welcomed by Crisis, the national charity for single homeless people.
Mr Shapps said that from 2011 he wanted the annual figure to "better reflect the true scale of the problem". Current Government figures estimate there are about 500 rough sleepers nationwide, but homelessness charities know that at least 3,000 rough sleepers access services in London alone during the course of a year.
Leslie Morphy, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: "Crisis has always said that the system for counting rough sleepers had flaws and did not give a full account of either rough sleeping or wider homelessness so we welcome the announcement that the system will be reformed.
"Homelessness is about much more than the lack of a roof and requires concerted action across Government to ensure rough sleepers and homeless people get the healthcare, skills, training and employment opportunities they need as well as everything being done to prevent people becoming homeless, so we also warmly welcome the establishment of a new-cross Government Committee with Ministers in 8 Departments focused on the issue.
"It will be vital, however, to ensure that both Government and local authorities provide the resources to back-up this new commitment and that the right services are delivered on the ground and are not cut. We also believe the Coalition should agree with both the previous Government and the Conservative Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, and commit to ending rough sleeping by 2012."
For further media information or to request an interview with Crisis spokespeople, please contact Garry Lemon at Crisis, on 020 7426 3880 or
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Background on Crisis
Crisis is the national charity for single homeless people. We are dedicated to ending homelessness by delivering life-changing services and campaigning for change. Our innovative education, employment, housing and well-being services address individual needs and help people to transform their lives. We are determined campaigners, working to prevent people from becoming homeless and advocating solutions informed by research and our direct experience. We have ambitious plans for the future and are committed to help more people in more places across the UK. We know we won't end homelessness overnight or on our own. But we take a lead, collaborate with others and, together, make change happen.
