Boris Johnson oversees 31% rise in rough sleeping, says charity

Published by Max Salsbury for 24dash.com in Housing and also in Local Government

London has seen a 31% increase in rough sleeping over the past two months compared with the same period last year, according to homeless charity Broadway.

The Mayor has pledged to ensure nobody spends a second night on the streets by the end of the year, but the number of people spending a second night out increased 12% over the previous two month period.

Before the recent London mayoral elections, Johnson made a pledge with homeless charity Crisis to end homelessness in the capital.

London Assembly Member Darren Johnson will question the Mayor about the figures during Mayor’s Question Time tomorrow. He said: “The Mayor has failed to defend London against cuts to homelessness services, cuts to housing benefits, and a poorly regulated rental sector.

“The tragic consequence during a recession is more people sleeping rough. There are many thousands more people living in sheds, sleeping on friends’ sofas or stuck in B&Bs.

“The Mayor’s aim of ending rough sleeping is a distant dream if things continue in this direction. I want to shake out his complacency and make him realise just how dire London’s housing situation is, just how big a change of direction we need.”