The report presents information about people seen rough sleeping by outreach teams in London in April – June 2021. It reveals that rough sleeping numbers have fallen to levels similar to before last year’s pandemic.

In brief, the statistics found:

• 2589 people had been seen sleeping rough. 1,177 people were found sleeping rough for the first time.
• Around half as many of 16-25 year olds were sleeping rough as the same quarter last year, a fall from 449 in 2020 to 223 this year.
• Despite these falls in numbers, young people seen sleeping rough in the capital remains around one in ten around one in ten (9%) – a stubbornly high figure.

Paul Noblet, Centrepoint’s Government and Parliamentary Affairs Lead, said:
“While it is encouraging to see a fall in the number of young people sleeping rough, the fact is that despite the best efforts of the Mayor and local councils, even before the pandemic, the number of young people sleeping rough in London was unacceptably high.

“It’s almost impossible to imagine the impact of that experience on a young person’s life and we should be doing all we can to reduce the number left with no choice but to sleep in unsafe places.

“The government showed what could be done last year when the political will and the increased funding was there to end rough sleeping. They have continued to invest money since but today’s statistics show that there is a long way to go when it comes to getting homeless young people off the streets.

“Part of the solution must be to ring-fence money for services for homeless young people – who often feel no safer accessing all age accommodation and support than they do rough sleeping – and give them the opportunity to find safety and escape homelessness for good.”