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| Growing crisis on UK streets as rough sleeper numbers soar | |
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| Jason Nash wears all three of his jackets and both his pairs of jeans at the same time. His sleeping bag doesn’t look like it has the greatest filling but he tries to get inside the stairwell of a block of flats to sleep when he can so at least he doesn’t get wet if it rains overnight. | Jason Nash wears all three of his jackets and both his pairs of jeans at the same time. His sleeping bag doesn’t look like it has the greatest filling but he tries to get inside the stairwell of a block of flats to sleep when he can so at least he doesn’t get wet if it rains overnight. |
| Now 26, Nash has had only sporadic periods of living under a roof since he left care. He has a heroin and crack problem which costs him around £60 a day. “When I’m off my nut I can sleep. I don’t think you can live on the streets sober. It’s cold,” he says. | Now 26, Nash has had only sporadic periods of living under a roof since he left care. He has a heroin and crack problem which costs him around £60 a day. “When I’m off my nut I can sleep. I don’t think you can live on the streets sober. It’s cold,” he says. |
| Nash is one of the rapidly growing number of people sleeping rough on Britain’s streets. With some of the harshest weather of the winter still to come, charities and local authorities say this rapid rise is extremely concerning. | Nash is one of the rapidly growing number of people sleeping rough on Britain’s streets. With some of the harshest weather of the winter still to come, charities and local authorities say this rapid rise is extremely concerning. |
| Three homeless people have died in the last 10 days – two men died in a fire at a derelict building in Manchester and last Tuesday a 30-year-old man died in his sleeping bag in a Birmingham car park. There have been “tent city” protests in Leeds, Manchester and Hull over the past few weeks, with homeless people demonstrating against what they see as local authority inaction on the issue. | Three homeless people have died in the last 10 days – two men died in a fire at a derelict building in Manchester and last Tuesday a 30-year-old man died in his sleeping bag in a Birmingham car park. There have been “tent city” protests in Leeds, Manchester and Hull over the past few weeks, with homeless people demonstrating against what they see as local authority inaction on the issue. |
| The annual count, carried out by 44 English authorities and estimated by the other 282, finished last week. Sources at three cities told the Observer their figures, which are yet to be officially released, were double last year’s number. | The annual count, carried out by 44 English authorities and estimated by the other 282, finished last week. Sources at three cities told the Observer their figures, which are yet to be officially released, were double last year’s number. |
| Charities say the counts only pick up the most visible – those sleeping in shop doorways, for example – and miss the majority hidden in derelict buildings or other makeshift shelters. Official government figures for the 2015 count were 3,569 people rough sleeping in England on a single night, up 102% from 2010. In Scotland the closest statistic is that 1,787 people slept rough the night before submitting a homelessness application in 2014. But those figures contrast with those from charity outreach workers who reported seeing 8,000 people on the streets in London alone last year. | Charities say the counts only pick up the most visible – those sleeping in shop doorways, for example – and miss the majority hidden in derelict buildings or other makeshift shelters. Official government figures for the 2015 count were 3,569 people rough sleeping in England on a single night, up 102% from 2010. In Scotland the closest statistic is that 1,787 people slept rough the night before submitting a homelessness application in 2014. But those figures contrast with those from charity outreach workers who reported seeing 8,000 people on the streets in London alone last year. |
| Howard Sinclair, chief executive of homelessness charity St Mungo’s, says the true figure is 10 times that. “Rough sleeping is increasing year-on-year – and so are the needs of those people, the complex issues, the range of problems,” he says. “The degree of need, is much, much higher than it was even three years ago.” | Howard Sinclair, chief executive of homelessness charity St Mungo’s, says the true figure is 10 times that. “Rough sleeping is increasing year-on-year – and so are the needs of those people, the complex issues, the range of problems,” he says. “The degree of need, is much, much higher than it was even three years ago.” |
| The housing crisis, the reduction of benefits – especially to younger people – and austerity cuts hitting local councils, charities and mental health services are creating the “perfect storm” in human misery, says Sinclair. | The housing crisis, the reduction of benefits – especially to younger people – and austerity cuts hitting local councils, charities and mental health services are creating the “perfect storm” in human misery, says Sinclair. |
| “With all of this the numbers can only worsen, the housing crisis is not just about house prices and the shortage of social housing, but problems with private landlords. That’s the area we’re really seeing a rise in, people ending up on the streets after tenancy breakdowns. | “With all of this the numbers can only worsen, the housing crisis is not just about house prices and the shortage of social housing, but problems with private landlords. That’s the area we’re really seeing a rise in, people ending up on the streets after tenancy breakdowns. |
| “What you see is that strata of people who really have nothing – no money, no front door key, no friend or family. That number is growing. And you can’t just pin it all on local authorities, the health service is failing people too – 90% of rough sleepers are discharged from hospitals back on to the streets.” | “What you see is that strata of people who really have nothing – no money, no front door key, no friend or family. That number is growing. And you can’t just pin it all on local authorities, the health service is failing people too – 90% of rough sleepers are discharged from hospitals back on to the streets.” |
| Darren is in his late 30s. In April he was living in Camden, north London. He lost his job in healthcare, could not meet his rent, was evicted and ended up sleeping on the streets. All within a period of four weeks. “It was really scary. I had a normal life, I always had a job, then I wasn’t able to eat,” he says. “I went to the council when I still had a roof over my head and they took all my details and told me they’d write to me, but before they did I had no address any more, I was homeless. I went to their offices but you’re not a high priority and I didn’t know where else to go for help. When you’re homeless you can’t have a search on the internet to look for help, you can’t look for a job.” | Darren is in his late 30s. In April he was living in Camden, north London. He lost his job in healthcare, could not meet his rent, was evicted and ended up sleeping on the streets. All within a period of four weeks. “It was really scary. I had a normal life, I always had a job, then I wasn’t able to eat,” he says. “I went to the council when I still had a roof over my head and they took all my details and told me they’d write to me, but before they did I had no address any more, I was homeless. I went to their offices but you’re not a high priority and I didn’t know where else to go for help. When you’re homeless you can’t have a search on the internet to look for help, you can’t look for a job.” |
| He slept rough for two months before being picked up by an outreach team from St Mungo’s and given temporary accommodation. “I’m one of the lucky ones, you hear the stories of violence and abuse, its so dangerous out there.” | He slept rough for two months before being picked up by an outreach team from St Mungo’s and given temporary accommodation. “I’m one of the lucky ones, you hear the stories of violence and abuse, its so dangerous out there.” |
| Dave Smith of the UK-wide No Accommodation (Naccom) network of groups helping destitute refugees and asylum seekers, said homelessness was now no longer confined just to bigger cities. “Homelessness is getting worse and rough sleeping is rising everywhere. Places like Burnley, Preston and Skelmersdale now have destitute people on their streets. We are really only seeing a tiny proportion of the problem as most aren’t sleeping in doorways but hiding away. Especially with people of colour like asylum seekers – they know their colour makes them much more vulnerable to attack.” | Dave Smith of the UK-wide No Accommodation (Naccom) network of groups helping destitute refugees and asylum seekers, said homelessness was now no longer confined just to bigger cities. “Homelessness is getting worse and rough sleeping is rising everywhere. Places like Burnley, Preston and Skelmersdale now have destitute people on their streets. We are really only seeing a tiny proportion of the problem as most aren’t sleeping in doorways but hiding away. Especially with people of colour like asylum seekers – they know their colour makes them much more vulnerable to attack.” |
| For Nash, violence is part of his life. “You get a kick or a thumping every week or so,” he says. He has been in and out of prison and sleeping rough since he left the care system. “I was a troubled teen. My dad and step-mum had six kids and all of us went into care,” he says. “I haven’t seen my dad for years, when I did he’d promise me the world. I haven’t seen my mum since I was two, I don’t know if she’s dead, I think she is. | For Nash, violence is part of his life. “You get a kick or a thumping every week or so,” he says. He has been in and out of prison and sleeping rough since he left the care system. “I was a troubled teen. My dad and step-mum had six kids and all of us went into care,” he says. “I haven’t seen my dad for years, when I did he’d promise me the world. I haven’t seen my mum since I was two, I don’t know if she’s dead, I think she is. |
| “I tried to kill myself once, but the doctor gave me some tablets for the depression. He’s a good bloke.” | “I tried to kill myself once, but the doctor gave me some tablets for the depression. He’s a good bloke.” |