People living on London's streets rises by 26%

The number of people rough sleeping in London at the end of 2024 was 5% higher than a year earlier, according to the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain).

Between October and December 2024, homeless outreach teams recorded 4,612 people sleeping rough in the capital, about half of whom were deemed to have a mental health need.

Of those, 704 people were deemed to be living on the streets - a 26% increase on the same time last year - but the number of first-time rough sleepers fell by 7%.

Chief executive of homeless charity St Mungo's, Emma Haddad, said: "That the latest rough sleeping figures for London have continued to rise is incredibly concerning."

Homelessness organisations have previously called the figures "shameful".

In October, local authorities in London reported that they were spending £4m a day on homelessness, including on temporary accommodation.

Ms Haddad added: "Behind every number is a person who has spent the night on the pavement in winter.

"We simply have to change the system so that people are getting help that prevents them having to sleep rough in the first place."

She said this could be achieved if there was "a homelessness system focused on prevention" which would mean "no one released from prison, hospital or care on to the streets, no one evicted from their accommodation because the landlord wants to double the rent and no one unable to find somewhere to live because their benefits had been frozen".