ROUGH sleeping in England has fallen by 9 per cent, official figures show, but charities warn that the race to end homelessness is far from over. 

On a single night in autumn 2021 there were 2,440 people estimated to be rough sleeping in England, down 9 per cent from last year and a drop of 49 per cent from the peak in 2017, according to government figures released today.

However, the number of rough sleepers is yet to fall to levels seen before the Tory government came to power, with the figure still 38 per cent higher than in 2010. 

While welcoming the positive trend, homeless charities said that the figures were still of concern, especially given the cost-of-living crisis facing millions this year. 

Shelter campaigns director Osama Bhutta said: “We’re now at a fork in the road. There is a real danger that more people will be faced with the streets as the cost-of-living crisis rages, as well as a roundabout of repeat rough sleeping.”

Ms Bhutta said that the government needs to devise a “road map out of homelessness that addresses the lack of suitable, long-term homes in Britain.”