29 June 2012
St Mungo's Chief Executive Charles Fraser has urged central and local government to focus priorities on preventing rough sleeping in London after the announcement of startling new figures.
New figures out today show a 43% increase in people seen rough sleeping in London.
In 2011/12 5,678 people were seen sleeping rough compared to 3,975 in 2010/11
Charles Fraser, St Mungo's Chief Executive, said:
"These new figures show a startling rise. Let's not forget that behind each number is an individual in need. We support the No Second Night Out initiative in the capital and what that has achieved but with services stretched and demand rising, we need to ensure the capacity is in place to help people off the streets. This raises the important question; is preventing rough sleeping high enough on the agenda?"
Want to help us raise awareness of this? Become a St Mungo's ecampaigner and help us give homeless people a voice.
These latest figures report that 658 women slep rough in London in 2011/12. Read all about our new camapign to raise awareness of the issues faced by homeless women - Rebuilding Shattered Lives.
Notes
Contact Gemma Hollingshead on 020 8762 5570 or 07979 018 734 or email gemma.hollingshead@mungos.org
Source: Street to Home Bulletin 2011/12 from Broadway CHAIN - http://www.broadwaylondon.org/CHAIN/Reports/S2Hbulletin201112.pdf