Rough sleeping in London up 23% to highest level in a decade

The number of homeless people in London has increased 23% year on year, with more than half of the people counted sleeping rough for the first time. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

Rough sleeping in London is at its highest level in a decade, prompting warnings of a “humanitarian crisis” that is expected to get worse.

In a 23% year-on-year increase for the fourth quarter of 2023, 4,389 people were counted sleeping on London’s streets – the most since city hall started recording figures in 2014. More than half were sleeping rough for the first time. Homelessness charities called the numbers “devastating”.