Half (50%) of people sleeping rough in London are UK nationals, and 22% per cent are from Central and Eastern European countries.

Roughly a third of rough sleepers have been in prison at some point, 10% have been in care and 5% in the armed forces.

People sleeping rough who have a mental health issue are 50% more likely to spend more than a year sleeping on the street than people who don't have a mental health diagnosis.

Only a third have no alcohol, substance use or mental health support needs.

Many of these people have one or more support needs: roughly 30% alcohol 30% substance use 44% mental health.

During the year, 19 people became homeless and slept rough for the first time every day, on average, according to data collated by the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN).

On one night alone in autumn 2021, 640 people were found sleeping rough.

More than two thirds of these people were sleeping rough for the first time. 11,018 people were seen rough sleeping by outreach workers in London between April 2020 and March 2021, a record high.

The number of people sleeping rough in London has quadrupled since 2005.

Homeless people are some of the most vulnerable and socially excluded people in our society. Sleeping rough on the streets of London is frightening, demoralising and isolating.Please consider getting involved - there are several ways you can help.Three in ten female rough sleepers experience sexual violence at some point while homeless.More than one in three have been deliberately been hit, kicked, or experienced some other form of violence while sleeping rough.Homeless people are 17 times more likely to be a victim of violent crime than the general public, and 47 times more likely to be a victim of theft.We need to change attitudes towards homeless people – they have a right to be treated with the same respect as anyone else. Six in ten rough sleepers surveyed said they had been insulted by a member of the public, and one in ten said that they had been urinated on.A homeless rough sleeper is 9 times more likely to commit suicide than the average person.The average age of death was just 45 years old for men and 43 for women, compared with 76 for men and 81 for women among the rest of the population. An estimated 148 people died while homeless in London last year. Sleeping rough has serious consequences.

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