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Rough sleeping in England rises for seventh year Rough sleeping in England rises for seventh year
(35 minutes later)
Rough sleeping in England has increased for the seventh year in a row, new official figures reveal.Rough sleeping in England has increased for the seventh year in a row, new official figures reveal.
There were 4,751 people counted or estimated to be on the streets in autumn 2017, a 15% rise on the year before and the highest number under current recording methods.There were 4,751 people counted or estimated to be on the streets in autumn 2017, a 15% rise on the year before and the highest number under current recording methods.
The figures provide a snapshot of rough sleeping on a typical night and showed about a quarter were in London.The figures provide a snapshot of rough sleeping on a typical night and showed about a quarter were in London.
The government has said it is investing £550m by 2020 to address the issue.
Of the people counted in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government figures, 653 were women, 760 were EU nationals from outside the UK and 193 were from outside the EU.
Most councils provide an estimate based on intelligence from local services but some conduct a count of the number of people seen sleeping rough on a single night.
They do not include people who are in hostels, shelters or sofa surfers.They do not include people who are in hostels, shelters or sofa surfers.
Of the people counted, 653 were women, 760 were EU nationals from outside the UK and 193 were from outside the EU. 'Tip of iceberg'
A spokeswoman for housing charity Shelter said the figures may be an underestimate.
She said: "Rough sleeping figures are particularly difficult to record because many people hide and remain out of sight, meaning that counts often miss those who bed down for the night in derelict buildings rather than the more obvious shop doorways.
"But these annual counts, which are improving all the time, are still a vital source in assessing rough sleeping trends.
"It's also crucial to remember that rough sleeping is only the tip of the iceberg and hundreds of thousands more are stuck in temporary accommodation or sofa surfing."
From April councils will be legally obliged to provide services to anyone at risk of becoming homeless, not just those with a priority need such as vulnerable people or families with children.
The National Audit Office said homelessness of all kinds had increased "significantly" over six years.