Big fall in rough sleepers in Wigan

Charities have cautiously welcomed the news that the number of people bedding down outside across England has fallen for the second consecutive year, but warned urgent social housing investment is needed to heal the “gaping wound” of homelessness across the country.

Data from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government reveals eight people was estimated to be sleeping on the streets in Wigan during a spot check on one night last autumn.

That’s ​down from 17 recorded in 2018​.

The latest snapshot comes after Boris Johnson announced £236m in additional funding to provide “move on” accommodation for up to 6,000 rough sleepers. The Prime Minister has also appointed former homelessness tsar Dame Louise Casey to carry out a review into the causes of the problem.

Local authorities across England estimated there were 4,266 people sleeping rough on the same night last autumn.

This was a nine per cent decrease from the previous year when 4,677 rough sleepers were counted, however, the total is still 2,498 higher than in 2010 – an increase of 141 per cent.

Polly Neate, Shelter chief executive, said: “It’s good news if fewer people are facing the trauma of sleeping on the streets. But the number of people sleeping rough remains well over double what it was in 2010.

“The Prime Minister rightly wants to end rough sleeping before the end of the parliament, but unless his government tackles the drought of genuinely affordable homes, homelessness isn’t going anywhere.

“You can’t put a plaster on a gaping wound. Serious investment in social housing is what’s needed. The upcoming budget is the perfect opportunity to champion a new generation of social homes and increase housing benefit, so it covers the basic cost of private rents.”

In Wigan, six of the rough sleepers recorded last autumn were male and two were female. All were UK citizens.

Of those who had their age recorded, the majority were 26 or over, but one of them was aged 25 and under.