Government figures released today by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities showed less people were sleeping rough in Coventry and Warwickshire last year – a decrease of 4% from 2022.
The drop – from 37 to 34 people – may be thanks to recent hard work by local authorities and homelessness organisations, but it is likely that hidden homelessness persists.
Tip of the iceberg
Today’s figures show what can be achieved when financial resources are made available, and local authorities and homelessness charities pull together. However, this isn’t a moment to sit back and celebrate. Homelessness is still all around us and so much of it is hidden. We strongly believe that these rough sleeping figures are just the visible tip of the iceberg.
With the cost of living crisis deepening, we know that so many people are living in unsecure or unsuitable accommodation, are having to sofa surf or are doing whatever they can to stay warm and dry over the winter months.
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