London’s homeless
Why our help is needed
3,017 people slept rough in London in 2007/08; a 7% increase in two years (Broadway, Street to Home 2007/08)
Health and mortality
- The national life expectancy is 76.5 years compared to 42 years of that of a rough sleeper. (Crisis, Critical Condition, 2002)
- 55% of homeless people have had no contact with a GP in the previous year (Crisis, Critical Condition, 2002)
- Rough sleepers are three times as likely than the general public to have chronic chest and breathing problems
Support needs
83% of those contacted needed support with either alcohol, drugs or mental health (Broadway, Street to Home 2007/08)
Hidden homeless
As well as rough sleepers there are other categories of people who constitute what are called “the hidden homeless”. These include:
- People living in bed-and-breakfast or other temporary boarded accommodation because they have no other option.
- People due for discharge from institutions: eg. prison, hospital, etc, and who have no accommodation to go to.
- People who are staying with freinds or family because they have no other option and where the housing is overcrowded.
- People who are staying with freinds or family because they have no other option and where the friends or family are dissatisfied with the arrangement.
- People who are squatting because they have no other option.
- The Passage assists people from all of these categories.
How many hidden homeless people are there?
Crisis estimates that around 400,000 people in Britain could be considered as being “the hidden homeless”.