Statistics revealed today by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government show that the number of people sleeping rough has reached its highest level since records began.
A shameful 4,751 people were sleeping on the streets in the autumn of 2017, a figure that has rocketed in recent years as austerity and inflation create a financial trap for the most vulnerable people in society.
And it’s no longer confined to London and the big cities. Rough sleepers have been appearing in tents and shop doorways in towns where it seems unexpected and out of place.
People in full-time work have also been forced on to the streets, as exposed in a BBC investigation here.
One worker who was forced into a homeless shelter said: “If I said it was overwhelming, it would be an understatement.”
More to follow
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