London cold weather shelters to open for rough sleepers

London's mayor says those using emergency shelter will receive support to "move on" to "secure" longer-term accommodation

Emergency accommodation will be opened for rough sleepers in London on Wednesday evening, as temperatures dip below freezing in the capital.

Mayor Sadiq Khan has activated the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) requiring councils to provide extra shelter for the homeless.

Mr Khan said people taking up the offer would receive support to "move on" to "secure" longer-term accommodation.

It comes as the quarterly number of rough sleepers reached a record high.

City Hall said all boroughs in London had also committed to the mayor's "In for Good" principle, which means no-one will be asked to leave accommodation until a support plan is in place to end their rough sleeping, regardless of an increase in temperature.

However, Mr Khan said more needed to be done by central government to help combat the problem, adding: "For many Londoners struggling to pay soaring rents and a cost-of-living-crisis, this winter will feel longer and colder than ever. We know that these factors are forcing more people on to the streets; it is imperative that ministers stop turning a blind eye to this crisis and start taking action to ensure people can afford to stay in their homes.

"Since 2016, we've quadrupled funding and support to tackle homelessness, helping over 16,000 rough sleepers off the streets, but there's much more to do."

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced on Tuesday that it had allocated £52m to Greater London so far from a £200m national programme aimed at tackling rough sleeping.

The funding is expected to pay for almost 350 homes to be built for homeless adults with no dependent children - including at least 59 in Lambeth, 58 in Newham and 42 in Hillingdon.

The government said it would also enable a wide range of accommodation and support services to be provided for vulnerable adults, as well as helping with building repairs and renovations.

The project forms a major part of the government's cross-department £2bn programme, which aims to end rough sleeping across the country.

Homelessness minister and Kensington MP Felicity Buchan said: "This funding will not only provide housing for rough sleepers but will also give tailored support to help those most in need off the streets, rebuild their lives, and begin to live independently."

However, between July and September, 4,068 people were found to be sleeping on the streets by outreach teams, according to London's Combined Homelessness and Information Network (Chain).

That figure is up 12% compared with the same period in 2022, with more than half - 2,086 people - sleeping rough for the first time.

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