DEATHS among homeless people in Britain soaring by 12 per cent in just one year are a “national emergency,” according the Museum of Homelessness. 

The project found that about 1,474 people died in homelessness last year, up from 1,313 in 2022.

Those among that number who died while sleeping rough rocketed by 42 per cent from 109 to 155 over the same period.

Identifying what it called an epidemic of “deaths of despair,” the report noted a shocking 47 per cent of deaths could be attributed to drink, drugs or suicide.

Across Britain, only Northern Ireland saw a fall to 188 deaths, while England’s toll rose to 983 and Wales’s to 97.

Scotland meanwhile saw the largest increase, soaring by 31 per cent in a single year to 206 as the SNP Scottish government grapples with record levels of homelessness amid a self-declared “housing emergency.”

SNP Housing Minister Paul McLennan said: “Every death while homeless is one too many and underlines the human cost of homelessness.”

Ahead of a vigil outside Downing Street tomorrow, the Homelessness Museum’s Matt Turtle said: “People are dying on the street at terrifying rates. 

“Labour has not yet set out plans to mitigate the damage caused by the last government.

“Our analysis indicates things are set to get much grimmer, unless the government acts now to save lives.”

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson called every death a “tragedy,” branding them “a damning indictment of the disgraceful rise in homelessness in recent years.” 

They added: “We are taking action by setting up a dedicated cross-government group, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, to develop a long-term strategy to get us back on track to end homelessness.”