A new report published by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government finds rough sleeping to have decreased by 43% since Boris Johnson took office.
The number of rough sleepers has decreased by nearly half since Boris Johnson became Prime Minister and Leader of the Conservative Party.
The new report, published by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government has compiled data on rough sleeping and contrasted it with previous findings. This year alone, the Government invested £750 million into tackling homelessness across the whole of the UK.
The report comes as the third year in a row that homelessness has decreased in the UK, with this being the lowest rate in six years.
This year, it is estimated that there are 2,868 people sleeping rough in the UK, which is a reduction of 1,578 from 4,226 people before. This year alone has therefore seen a reduction of 38%.
The report also finds that some areas have achieved zero rough sleepers, with examples including Ashford and Basingstoke. The “Protect Programme”, a part of the “Everyone In” scheme, has overseen much of the decrease, including a decrease over the harsh winter period.
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, said: “I believe we are closer than ever before to achieving our goal of eliminating rough sleeping.”
The Government’s efforts also appear to be protecting rough sleepers from the coronavirus, ensuring that rough sleepers are getting vaccinated for their own safety and that of their fellow citizens.
