Cold and homeless

The lowest temperature in the UK for seven years was recorded on Thursday as snowy and icy weather continued to hit Britain.

Rough sleeping rose in almost all England’s major cities last year, and across five of its nine regions, according to official figures.

The estimated number of rough sleepers rose by 13% in London, 60% in Birmingham, and 31% in Manchester. The place with the largest number of rough sleepers was Westminster, where 306 people were on the streets on the night of the survey, up by 41%.

The report says 4,677 people were counted or estimated to be sleeping on the streets in England. This is 165% higher than in 2010, although charities say it is likely to be an underestimate.

In England as a whole there was a marginal 2% annual fall in rough sleepers – equivalent to 74 people, the first time national figures have not risen in eight years.

Research for the Crisis charity by Heriot Watt University estimated 12,300 people in Britain were sleeping on the streets last year, with a further 12,000 spending the night in cars, trains, buses or tents.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/31/rough-sleeping-rises-in-nearly-all-englands-major-cities-london-birmingham