London mayor elections: Sadiq Khan pledges to end rough sleeping

More than 4,000 people were sleeping rough between October and December 2023, according to Greater London Authority (GLA) data

Sadiq Khan has pledged to wipe out rough sleeping in the capital by 2030 if he is re-elected as London mayor.

In a speech on Monday, the Labour incumbent promised to end the "indignity, fear and isolation" felt by those enduring a life on the street.

A record number of people are rough sleeping in London, recent data shows.

Tory candidate Susan Hall branded it "another promise that Sadiq Khan will fail to deliver". The Lib Dems blasted "shameful" levels of homelessness.

The Green Party described the £10m pledge as "a drop in the ocean" and said the east London borough of Newham alone requires £32m to end homelessness.

The charity Centrepoint, which campaigns to end youth homelessness, said any new money would be welcome but "the fact is the mayor and other local authorities can only do so much."

Mr Khan claims it would be City Hall's biggest single intervention to tackle rough sleeping on record and would fund an expanded network of "ending homelessness hubs" under the plans.

Sadiq Khan is seeking a third term as London mayor

The hubs are designed to help an extra 1,700 rough sleepers every year with rapid reassessment and rehousing.

In his speech, Mr Khan said it was time "to reject the notion that homelessness is some natural, stubborn feature of modern life that we have no option but to abide".

He described this election as an opportunity to "condemn the scandal of rough sleeping to history, not just for a short time but for all time".

Susan Hall said: "Sadiq Khan has only started building 4% of the affordable homes he promised in the latest programme and it is his failure that has kept people stuck in temporary accommodation and made it harder to get rough sleepers off the streets.

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"We cannot solve homelessness without solving the housing crisis, which is why I have pledged to build more family homes Londoners can afford."

Dr Tom Kerridge, Centrepoint's policy and research manager, said: "In London alone, Centrepoint estimates the shortfall in funding to support young people facing homelessness to run to dozens of millions of pounds."

"Rough sleeping rightly generates the most coverage, but the level of homelessness more widely is both a moral scandal and deeply-rooted political problem that can't be solved by piecemeal pots of money.

Charity Centrepoint say 119,300 young people in England approached councils for homelessness support

"Instead, what is really required, is a cross-governmental strategy in Westminster that's supported by a long-term funding commitment."

Liberal Democrat mayoral candidate Rob Blackie said: "The mayor has missed his own housing targets almost every year since he has been elected.

"I will build much more by making it easier to build, and launching a London Development Company to accelerate housebuilding."

Zoë Garbett, the Green Party's candidate said: "London is going to need a big change in government policy to help people experiencing homelessness.

"It's all well and good highlighting the Conservative candidate's record of supporting the devastating cuts but nationally Labour have repeatedly refused to commit to reversing the cuts and have committed themselves to the same disastrous economic policy of the current government."

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