Thames Reach has issued a report showing how many people are sleeping rough in the capital, the length of time they spend on the streets and the reasons why they ended up on the streets.
There is a great deal of interest in homelessness at Christmas time and the media frequently run stories on the subject, a move normally welcomed by the charities working with rough sleepers on London’s streets.
Sometimes though, rather than challenging some of the urban myths that have developed around the subject of homelessness, these articles and TV programmes actually reinforce them. The stories or programmes reflect more about the fears and concerns of the media’s readers or viewers rather than painting an accurate picture of what is actually happening on the streets.
We often read about middle class homelessness, youngsters sleeping rough, and hordes of British army veterans bedded down on the streets. But does this really reflect the reality of who is sleeping rough in 2011?
The Thames Reach report challenges some of these urban myths and explores the vast differences in the length of time different people spend sleeping rough – some people live on the streets whilst others may just spend a single night there – and their background and profile.
It looks at the growing number of rough sleepers from overseas – UK rough sleepers now make up less than 50% of the total of rough sleepers in London – and looks at the health issues such as poor mental health, alcoholism and drug abuse which affect so many rough sleepers.
It recognises that some people may be moving into temporary less secure accommodation due to the poor economic conditions and higher unemployment but notes that this has not led to a rise in new groups of rough sleepers not previously seen on the streets.
The majority of rough sleepers are men aged 26-45 with very few young people aged 25 or under sleeping rough.
The profile of rough sleeping suggests that, as always, it is the poorest and most disadvantaged sections of the community who have to resort to living on the streets.
