Over the past two years rough sleeping in London has risen by 60%
- 17 Dec
Due to welfare reforms and cuts to benefits it has been revealed that rough sleeping in London has increased by 60% in the past two years.
A study by homelessness charity Crisis and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation how shown that there was a 13% rise in the number of rough sleepers in 2012/13 in London, and a two year increase of over 60%. Across the whole of England the number grew by 6% in 2012.
The report says ‘Frontline services available to homeless people continue to be reduced, with the prospect of more significant cuts to come in many areas. Some representatives felt that this weakening in support for the most vulnerable was undermining their ability to sustain accommodation, and may be contributing to a rise in rough sleeping.'
Over the past three years, statutory homelessness acceptances have grown by over a third, but the rise in 2012/14 was lower than the previous year, reports Inside Housing.
The report also highlights a 14% increase in the number of bed and breakfast placements in the UK. The number of households being place in temporary accommodation outside their home district doubled since 2010.
Leslie Morphy, chief executive of Crisis, said: "We keep hearing that the economy is on the mend. Yet as we watch our GDP figures slowly rise, cuts to housing benefit and woefully inadequate house building will keep pushing up homelessness. Shamefully, it is the poorest and most vulnerable that are bearing the brunt."
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