Rough sleeping in London has hit its highest level in a decade, with over 1,100 people forced onto the streets for the first time due to evictions.
Between April 2023 and March 2024, outreach workers saw 7,974 people sleeping rough for the first time, a 25% increase and the highest figure in at least four years. Nearly one in 10 of those living on the streets was aged 25 or younger, including 13 children.
In total, 11,993 individuals were recorded sleeping rough by outreach teams, a 19% rise compared to the previous year and 58% higher than a decade ago.
The homelessness charity Crisis described the figures as deeply shameful. This comes after the Conservative government failed to implement a promised ban on no-fault evictions before the end of the last parliament, despite pledging to do so in 2019.
