HOMELESSNESS charities called for long-term solutions to rough sleeping today after official figures revealed an increase in London, despite the introduction of emergency measures over the pandemic.

Data by the Greater London Authority shows that 11,018 people were seen sleeping rough in the capital during 2020-21, a 3 per cent increase compared to 2019-20 and a 36 per cent increase over the past five years.

Of these, 68 per cent were seen sleeping rough for the first time — an increase of 7 per cent since last year and 48 per cent since 2015-16.

Overall, the number of people rough sleeping in London has increased by 94 per cent in the past decade. 

Homeless Link CEO Rick Henderson said that the Everyone In programme was successful in supporting thousands of people off the streets during the pandemic, but that the government must start to address the root causes of homelessness to meet its target of ending rough sleeping by 2024.

He said: “We now find ourselves at a precipice. Without decisive action, much of the good work of the past 15 months risks being undone.

“The Everyone In programme is coming to an end, bringing with it the risk of many people still housed in hotels ending up back on the streets.

“Add to that the ending of the recent evictions ban, the winding down of the furlough scheme and a huge shortfall in affordable housing and it’s clear that many people will struggle to stay afloat over the coming months.”

Crisis chief executive Jon Sparkes said that while the increase in numbers is dreadful, “there is nothing inevitable about this.

“Last year we saw brilliant but short-lived measures that dramatically reduced the numbers of people sleeping rough.

“But the commitments made at the start of the pandemic have fallen away and this progress is now in imminent danger of being lost.”

Mr Sparkes said that while the government looks to lift restrictions, it is “unacceptable that we are seeing a return to pre-pandemic levels of rough sleeping across London.”

“We need long-term solutions if we are to end rough sleeping for good,” he said.

“This must be led by a national strategy that commits to help everyone, no matter where they were born, and delivers genuinely affordable housing and programmes like Housing First for people with complex support needs.”