Figures published today show that 6,437 people were seen rough sleeping by outreach workers in 2012/13, up 13% from last year and up 113% from 2007/08, the year before the current Mayor of London was elected. He pledged to ensure that nobody slept rough for a second night by the end of 2012, but missed this target. While the proportion of people sleeping on the streets for more than one night has fallen thanks to the No Second Night out programme, the absolute number of people remains high.
London Green Party Assembly Member Darren Johnson commented:
“The Mayor has helped more people off the streets, but he has failed to tackle the reasons why they end up there in the first place.
“In these tough times people need secure and affordable housing, especially if their life has taken a turn for the worse. But the Mayor has supported cuts to our welfare safety net, overlooked damaging cuts to homelessness services and opposed reforms to our insecure private rented sector. If he doesn’t change course, his aim of ending rough sleeping will remain a distant dream.”