Government figures released today by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities showed less people were sleeping rough in Leicestershire last year – a decrease of 48% from 2020. However, more people are sleeping rough in Hinckley and Bosworth specifically – an increase of 150%.
The overall drop is thanks to recent hard work by local authorities and homelessness organisations during the Covid 19 crisis, in addition to the national ‘Everyone In’ scheme which provided temporary accommodation for those sleeping rough.
The data was collected as part of the government’s Rough Sleeping Snapshot in England.
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.
Last winter, the Everyone In scheme helped find accommodation for thousands of rough sleepers, but now the scheme has formally ended. New funds to help homeless people have been made available, but these are unlikely to be enough to stop people from falling through the net and being left out in the cold. 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.
How our charity helps
Our charity Emmaus Leicestershire & Rutland provides a home and meaningful work for 16 people who have experienced homelessness and social exclusion. Find out more.