Why Homeslessness is an urgent issue now!
It is commonly accepted that we are moving to a near cashless society by 2030 which will have a direct impact on how many homeless people get by day to day by though asking money on the street. If homeless people are unable to ask for spare change they will need to look for alternative and likely more desperate ways to raise funds to survive day to day. This will negatively impact communities as homeless people will be forced to move to criminal activities from theft to sex trade in order to fund their survival.
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These problems will be further compounded as retail outlets are moving to techniques such as facial recognition to prevent shoplifting which is another way these people get by. This will further mean if homeless people are unable to do this to get by they will be forced to resort to even harder crimes to survive.
A new alternative way of helping these people survive day to day is needed.
Facts about Homelessness in London
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– From March 2022 to April 2023, outreach teams from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network recorded 10,053 people sleeping rough in London. 64% of these people were doing so for the first time.
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– Cases of homelessness in London rose by 54% between 2013 and 2023.
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– Government statistics show that in Summer 2022, 59% of people in temporary accommodation across England were in London.
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– The number of households living in temporary accommodation in the UK has reached its highest level since 2005, with more than 100,000 households affected across England. Almost 60% of these households are in London, including 75,580 children.
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– 50.2% of people seen sleeping rough in London in summer last year were UK nationals.
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– In August 2023 London Councils estimated that one in 50 people in London are homeless.
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– In addition to official counts, many more people are ‘hidden homeless’. They may be sofa surfing, living in squats or unsecured accommodation, and don’t show up in official statistics. A 2017 London Assembly report estimated that the number of hidden homeless people could be up to 13 times higher than official figures.