The Government’s annual rough sleeping statistics for England, published today, found an estimated 2,688 people to be sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2020. This is a decrease of 37% from last year.

• There were 2,688 people estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2020
• This is down by 1,578 people or 37% from last year
• Most people sleeping rough in England are male, aged over 26 years old and from the UK. This is similar to previous years

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said: “Today’s figures reflect the amazing efforts from local authorities and the homelessness sector over the last year to provide people who are experiencing the worst forms of homelessness, including those sleeping rough, with somewhere safe to stay during the pandemic. 

“Bringing people off the streets had a life changing impact – it didn’t just provide protection against coronavirus, but gave people an opportunity to engage with vital services, access support and get their health back on track. For many, it put them on a path out of homelessness for good. But we must be clear - while positive, these statistics do not represent the full picture. Throughout the pandemic we have seen new people forced onto our streets and every person sleeping rough is one too many.

“The last 12 months have shown that when the political will is there, and homelessness is given the priority it deserves, we can bring people off the streets. As the country begins to move out of lockdown, the Government must have a plan to help people end their homelessness altogether and measures in place to prevent them from losing their homes in the first place. Otherwise, we risk seeing a surge in homelessness as soon as emergency measures are lifted.”

 

Notes to Editor

About Crisis  

Crisis is the national charity for homeless people. We help people directly out of homelessness, and campaign for the social changes needed to solve it altogether. We know that together we can end homelessness.    

How the count is conducted:

The government’s annual rough sleeping count is based on a snapshot of a single night, either through a physical street count, an estimate of the number of people sleeping rough, or using both an estimate and spotlight count in a local area. It is the only official data available in England.

The system has improved somewhat over the years and has helped provide more of an insight into the scale of the problem than we had in the past. But it’s still not doing the job it needs to.

This disparity is because the government’s counts and estimates inevitably miss a significant number of people living on the streets, including those not sleeping rough when the count takes place, those hidden from view, and those who aren’t bedded down for the night. In areas where there aren't commissioned outreach teams it is more likely that people are missed.

Crucially, these figures are a small part of a much bigger picture. Rough sleeping is the most visible form of homelessness and while tackling it is vital, there are currently tens of thousands of homeless people hidden from view, sleeping on floors and sofas or stuck in hostels, shelters and B&Bs.