Winter Homelessness Briefing 2021-22

London faces the most severe homelessness crisis in the country. This briefing sets out the latest data on the scale of the challenge in the capital, plus London local government’s key concerns and the policy changes required for tackling the homelessness crisis.

Temporary accommodation figures are close to their highest-ever levels. London accounts for two-thirds of England’s total temporary accommodation numbers and Londoners are ten times more likely to be living in temporary accommodation than residents of anywhere else in England.

The briefing also covers the ongoing work to tackle rough sleeping in the capital, building on the rapid progress enabled by the government’s ‘Everyone In’ directive in March 2020. Thousands of people have been supported off the streets and into settled accommodation, but there are still 2,000 in emergency accommodation, with at least 650 rough sleepers on London’s streets on any given night.

Ultimately, the high homelessness rate in London is driven by the chronic shortage of affordable housing in the capital combined with ongoing failings in the welfare system. A list of London Councils’ key policy priorities can be found in the briefing.