‘Rough sleeping in England has risen 27 per cent in the past year and more than doubled since 2010’

• GOVERNMENT data just released reveal that, shockingly, rough sleeping in England has risen 27 per cent in the past year and more than doubled since 2010.

These aren’t just statistics, they are people, thousands of people, whose lives have fallen apart in a terrible way and haven’t had the support and back-up they need at that critical moment.

As a result they are sleeping on our streets each night. This just should not be happening.

One important way to reduce the number of people rough sleeping is to break the link between rough sleeping and the criminal justice system.

A third of rough sleepers have been in prison, and we know hundreds of people leave prison into homelessness every month. This is despite the importance of stable housing in reducing reoffending.

Where there are key moments like leaving prison, and someone is at risk of homelessness, we need to ensure that everything possible is done to help people find and keep a home for the long term.

Nacro, is a national charity, housing thousands of homeless people, people coming out of prison and care leavers across the country.

CAMPBELL ROBB
Chief Executive, Nacro Devonshire Square, EC2
https://www.nacro.org.uk/