Camden's rough sleepers rise as temperatures drop

An outreach team from Camden Council speaks to a homeless woman begging outside Kings Cross station

As the temperature dropped, Camden Council's outreach team began its regular count of rough sleepers.

Outreach worker Lukasz Fila from Camden Routes Off The Streets was looking for known rough sleepers as well as new ones.

The first person spotted was a woman begging outside a station entrance.

Mr Fila said he had been trying to find out about her accommodation.

"She's on the waiting list for housing. We don't know how quick she may be housed. We'll speak to her keyworker."

Recent figures from the mayor's office showed the first year-on-year drop in the number of rough sleepers for three years, but Camden's own figures show that since 2021/22 there was a 48% increase in rough sleeping.

Mr Fila said he and his team "definitely see a different intensity of people experiencing different support needs.

"People suffering from domestic violence, trauma, people who are being evicted from their current accommodation.

"We are seeing more women on the streets."

Outreach team leader Lukasz Fila has noticed the intensity of the problems faced by homeless getting worse

He seemed to know most of the rough sleepers by name. By identifying which person was sleeping where, keyworkers can keep track of their location so they can access services.

He was also able to buy the people we came across a hot drink and something to eat.

Ella Pontefract goes on the homeless count to make sure Camden's resources are being used as effectively as possible

Rough Sleeping Manager Ella Pontefract goes on the homeless count to make sure Camden's resources are being used as effectively as possible - and to better understand what resources might be required.

"We need a clear image of what is happening currently within the borough.

"I join the street count and I often visit the hub to make sure I am still very much connected with the outreach service."

The number of rough sleepers seen in Camden has risen 48% in the past three years

The number of rough sleepers seen in Camden has risen 48% in the past three years.

When the team did a similar street count in October last year, there were 112 people seen sleeping rough. This autumn there were 117, and there has been an 8% increase from 2023/24 to 2024/25.

The cost of housing in Camden is high. It is the third most expensive borough for rent in London. Rents have risen 20% since the pandemic in 2020.

According to research by homeless charity Crisis, only 2.7% of properties across the whole of London are classed as affordable within Local Housing Allowance limits, down from 18% at the start of the pandemic. In Camden, the figure is only 0.4%.

The team speaks to a man begging outside Kings Cross who tells them he was evicted from a local hostel after an argument

One man sitting begging outside St Pancras Station in a furry dressing gown told me his name was Byron.

He said he had been sleeping rough on and off for the past twenty years, had recently been temporarily housed in a hostel but after an argument with another guest he had been asked to leave.

He was now sleeping rough again.

When I asked him what was preventing him from getting and staying in long-term accommodation, he said many people on the street, including him, struggle with drink and drugs.

He said he was now receiving an opioid injection from the NHS as part of his attempt to get and stay clean.

"It's getting the right support.

"Now I'm sober, I'm looking to go back to work, and finding accommodation first."

A vicious cycle comes into effect for many homeless people - without an address it can be difficult to access benefits or a bank account. Without a bank account or benefits it is hard to secure a home. And without any of that, getting a job becomes almost impossible.

Part of the outreach team's job is to help connect up the different services.

A man with a bicycle approached the team and said he was an addict on his way to score drugs from his dealer.

He lives in his own flat, but told us he couldn't manage on his own and was on the verge of being evicted.

If he were, he would become another rough sleeper in the borough.

It was in the team's interest to try to help him stay housed if possible, so they took his details and promised to speak to his keyworker.

Council leader Richard Olszewski said the scale of the homelessness problem in Camden is difficult to solve

Across Euston Road from where the team was carrying out their count is Camden Council's main building, where I went to meet council leader Richard Olszewski.

I asked him how the council is coping with the increasing number of rough sleepers who are drawn to this inner London borough.

"We can't do it on our own," he said.

"We have to work in partnership with other organisations, whether it's through the NHS, the voluntary sector or churches, so that we can come together, identify these deep-seated problems and see how we can do things together."

Was it working?

"It is difficult. It's challenging because of the scale of the problem we are facing."