New data released today (30 January 2026) by the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) which covers October to December 2025, shows that 4,841 individuals were sleeping rough in the capital.
The data also shows that during this period:
• Outreach teams recorded 2,250 people in London sleeping rough for the first time
• 830 people were deemed to be living on the streets, a rise of 18% compared to the same quarter of the previous year, and 9% higher than the immediately preceding period (July-September 2025)
• Of those assessed for a support need, 51.4% had a mental health support need, the highest of those seen rough sleeping during this period
Emma Haddad, Chief Executive of St Mungo’s said:
“It is deeply troubling, though not unexpected, that 4,841 people were forced to sleep on London’s pavements during some of the coldest months of 2025, a rise of 5% on the same period in the previous year.
Even more concerning is that the number of people deemed to be living on the streets jumped by almost a fifth, at a time when the Government is calling for long-term rough sleeping to be halved.
St Mungo’s teams worked flat out last autumn to bring people off the streets into somewhere safe and warm – as they do all year round. We see first-hand the terrible impact rough sleeping has on people. Whether they have experienced rising rents, the chronic lack of affordable and social housing, job insecurity or stretched support services, the dangers and devastation of sleeping rough for just one night are plain to see. Too often, that first night can spiral into long-term homelessness, with people’s health needs being compounded the longer they wait for help. The system is failing too many people, we need change.
The Government’s National Plan to End Homelessness sets out an agenda for change. Its success depends on action, responding as people continue to fall into homelessness and rough sleeping, while building a system that prevents people from reaching the streets in the first place.
St Mungo’s is working hard every day to help people access accommodation and support before they spend a night outside. Our work with the GLA on designing Ending Homelessness Hubs is a pioneering change in homelessness prevention and support. We will continue to work to create a society where nobody needs to experience rough sleeping.”
