More than 4,000 people were sleeping rough in England in 2016. That figure is higher than it was in 2015; indeed, it’s a figure that’s been rising every year since 2010. And those are the official figures. Research by Crisis puts the real figure at 9,000—and they believe it could grow by three-quarters in the next decade.
As the worst form of homelessness, rough sleeping is only the tip of the iceberg. It’s estimated that around a quarter of a million people in the UK are homeless—living in hostels or squats, cars or tents.
In this week’s show, Steve Bloomfield and Stephanie Boland are joined by:
- Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East
- Dawn Foster, Guardian columnist
- Juha Kaakinen, chief executive, Y-Foundation
