Mayor convenes emergency rough sleeping summit, as he warns rough sleeping in the capital will get worse before it gets better

• Sadiq convenes emergency roundtable with the Minister for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, boroughs, leaders and experts in the sector to find long-term solutions to the capital’s rough sleeping crisis
• Sadiq announces new ‘Homes off the Streets’ initiative, with £4.8m investment providing support for people previously sleeping rough in 3,500 long-term homes
• The Mayor reiterates his mission to end rough sleeping by 2030 but warns the scale of the challenge and legacy of previous Government underinvestment means things could get worse before they get better 
• City Hall’s rough sleeping budget has quadrupled since Sadiq has been Mayor
• Around 17,600 people have been helped off the capital’s streets since Sadiq was first elected through the Mayor’s services alone, with 75 per cent staying off the streets for good

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today renewed his ambition to work closely with the new Government, London’s homelessness sector and experts to tackle the rising numbers of people ending up on the streets as he warned ‘the situation will get worse before it gets better.’

Sadiq is convening an emergency roundtable with the Minister for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, Rushanara Ali MP, boroughs and leaders from the NHS, local government, homelessness charities and former rough sleepers to officially launch a call for evidence that will inform his plan of action on rough sleeping in London. 

The Mayor’s plan of action, due to be launched next year, will establish a shared mission for ending rough sleeping, including the scale of funding required and the best mechanisms for achieving this ambition by 2030.  

Whilst Sadiq is optimistic that rough sleeping can be ended with strong leadership, sufficient resources and the right strategy, he is warning that the scale of the challenge and the legacy of years of underinvestment from the previous Government in housing and support means that things could get worse this winter before they get better.   

Sadiq is also today announcing a new ‘Homes off the Streets’ initiative, which builds on the Mayor’s Clearing House scheme and is being delivered by City Hall, with funding for support to help more Londoners in their recovery from homelessness.

The £4.8m funding will ensure that former rough sleepers at 3,500 properties across the capital can support themselves and stay off the streets for good. It will provide advice and support in areas such as accessing financial advice, applying for benefits and using public services.

The Mayor also intends to work with social landlords to increase the number of properties available in the future through his ‘Homes off the Streets’ initiative to ensure as many rough sleepers as possible can stay off the streets for good.

London has long been at the forefront of delivering innovative long-term solutions to homelessness and rough sleeping and was one of the early adopters of a housing-led approach to tackling rough sleeping. Sadiq’s Homes off the Streets scheme builds on this legacy and is a pillar of his wider ambition to end rough sleeping for good by 2030.  

Rough sleeping has been rising in London and across the country, with London hit hard by previous Government cuts to key services and a national slowdown in housebuilding. Latest figures collated by City Hall for 2023/23 show the total number of people sleeping rough in London has continued to rise, with a 20 per cent increase in the number of new rough sleepers compared to the same period last year. [1] 

In response to the capital’s worsening crisis in rough sleeping, the Mayor has delivered record funding to homelessness charities and service providers and significantly increased City Hall’s rough sleeping budget. At £36.3 million, the budget in 2023/24 is now more than four times the £8.45 million a year it was when Sadiq took office in 2016. Around 17,600 people have been helped off the capital’s streets since 2016 through the Mayor’s services alone, with 75 per cent staying off the streets for good.   

Sadiq is clear that ending rough sleeping in London for good will require every sector to step up and play their part – from health to housing, and social care to wider society – backed by greater investment.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “We know we can bring down rough sleeping – it’s exactly what was done during the pandemic, and also two decades ago.

“However, with rough sleeping in London and across the country on the rise, the reality is that the situation will get worse before it gets better.

“Today I am bringing together Ministers, boroughs and leaders from the NHS, local government, homelessness charities and former rough sleepers, so we can work hand-in-hand to tackle this growing emergency. Providing funding to get vulnerable people off the streets and helping them to start rebuilding their lives is at the centre of our plan. 

“There’s so much more we need to do at all levels of Government and wider society – as we work together to build a better, fairer, more prosperous London for everyone.” 

The Minister for Homelessness, Rushanara Ali said: “To end homelessness for good we must tackle its root causes, not just its symptoms. We can only do this by working together across government, with councils, charities, experts, and front-line services. 

“This is why the summit is so important because not only will it bring all these stakeholders together, but we will also hear from those with first-hand experience of homelessness to help inform the Government’s long-term strategy to get us back on track to ending homelessness for good.”

Filmmaker Lorna Tucker-McGarvey, who slept on the streets of London for 18 months as a teenager said: “I strongly believe that we can end rough sleeping with the right support, so I’m really pleased that the Mayor of London has convened today’s emergency rough sleeping summit.

“It is powerful to have a seat at the table alongside others with lived experience of homelessness, and I hope our stories will drive forward the goal of ending rough sleeping in London by 2030.”

Cllr Grace Williams, London Councils’ Executive Member for Housing & Regeneration, said: “Rough sleeping is the most visible form of London’s homelessness emergency.

“Tackling rough sleeping requires a range of policy measures, as well as close partnerships between different agencies and investment in the frontline services keeping people off the streets.

“London boroughs play a pivotal role. We are proud to be working alongside the Mayor, the voluntary sector, and other partners in tackling this crisis. Together we can make faster progress towards ending rough sleeping for good.

Charlie Culshaw, Director of L&Q Living, said: “We’ve been a key partner in the Clearing House initiative since its inception and, with significant funding from the Mayor’s Office, we have seen it go from strength to strength. Adopting a housing-led approach to homelessness has the benefit of ensuring access to expert advice from those with unrivalled experience of helping people transition from rough sleeping to having a roof over their heads.

“As one of the UK’s leading housing associations we’re proud to support the Homes off the Street initiative to build on this success. We’re committed to continuing our support for the Mayor’s mission of bringing an end to rough sleeping by 2030 and ensuring that more people have a home to call their own.”