Mayor launches winter rough sleeping campaign as more sleeping on the streets across the country

• Mayor launches his annual fundraising campaign to ensure that more Londoners sleeping rough are helped this winter
• With rough sleeping on the rise across the country, including the capital, the Mayor is asking Londoners to donate what they can, or refer people sleeping rough to local services through Streetlink
• Sadiq has quadrupled funding for rough sleeping and has helped over 17,600 people off the streets since taking office, with over three quarters of those helped staying off the streets for good
• Mayor reaffirms his commitment to ending rough sleeping in the capital by 2030, but warns things will get worse before they get better
• Sadiq appeals directly to Londoners saying ‘your support this year will be more vital than ever’

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today launched his annual rough sleeping fundraising campaign for frontline homelessness services in the capital so that they can continue their life-saving work this winter.

With recent data from City Hall showing a 20 per cent rise in Londoners sleeping rough for the first time when compared to last year [1], Sadiq is calling on Londoners to consider making a small donation to the campaign, saying ‘your support this year will be more vital than ever.’

The Mayor is working with charity partner TAP London this winter, which has set up contactless payment donation machines – known as TAP points – across the capital. Londoners can donate at one of these points or online at www.taplondon.org [2]. By donating to TAP London today, Londoners will be supporting a range of homelessness charities via The London Charter to End Rough Sleeping, which the Mayor is supporting. [3]

Donations could help to provide a wide range of support:

1. £10 could cover the cost of a kettle and mugs for a person setting up home for the first time after sleeping rough. 
2. £20 could help a rough sleeper to stay connected to their outreach worker with a smartphone. 
3. £50 could cover two nights of accommodation for a rough sleeper in a lodgings scheme. 
4. £500 could pay for two street outreach sessions per week, to locate and support people who are sleeping rough. 

Londoners can also use the StreetLink website to connect people they see sleeping rough with local support services. [4] The Mayor is calling on Londoners to help get people off the street by putting them in touch with local services through Streetlink, which will be promoted on billboards across the capital in the coming weeks.

Since 2017, when Sadiq first launched his winter campaign, Londoners have donated over £700,000 to chosen rough sleeping charities, helping to fund integral initiatives, projects, and support services who are a vital lifeline for those sleeping rough across the capital.

Tackling rough sleeping in the capital is a top priority for the Mayor and since taking office he has quadrupled City Hall’s annual rough sleeping budget from £8.45m to £36.3m. More than 17,600 people have been helped off the capital’s streets to date through mayoral-backed frontline services, with over three quarters of those helped staying off the streets for good.

The Mayor remains committed to his ambition of working with Government to set London on course to end rough sleeping in the capital by 2030, but warns the scale of the challenge and the legacy of underinvestment from the previous Government means things will get worse before they better. 

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

As part of his efforts to work collaboratively with partners, Sadiq recently convened an emergency rough sleeping roundtable with the Minister for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, Rushanara Ali MP and representatives from local government, the NHS, homelessness charities and former rough sleepers, to help inform his plan of action on rough sleeping in London.

He also recently launched his new ‘Homes off the Streets’ initiative, backed by £4.8m funding, to ensure that former rough sleepers at 3,500 properties across the capital can support themselves and stay off the streets for good. The scheme provides advice and wraparound support in areas such as accessing financial advice, applying for benefits and using public services. [5]

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It’s shameful that the numbers of people forced to sleep on the streets is rising across the country and in London, and I’m determined to everything I can to end rough sleeping in the capital for good by 2030.

“I’m proud that since taking office, more than 17,600 Londoners have been helped off the streets, and that we’ve been able to boost frontline homelessness support by quadrupling City Hall’s rough sleeping budget.

“The reality is that the situation will get worse before it gets better. That is why I’m urging Londoners to support our rough sleeping campaign this winter – your support this year will be more vital than ever. A small donation can help change lives, support people to stay off the streets for good, and ultimately create a better, fairer London for everyone.”

Cllr Liza Begum, Westminster City Council’s cabinet member for housing services, said: “People end up rough sleeping on streets of Westminster for all sorts of complex reasons. Westminster City Council spends more than any other local authority on offering help and support to rough sleepers, and our teams are on the streets 365 days a year trying to offer help to get people off the pavements and into safer accommodation.

“The reality is that new people turn up on the streets all the time across London and in the depth of winter, life is harder than ever for them. The Mayor of London’s campaign is both timely and important in offering people in desperate circumstances a bridge to a better future. I am happy to support it.”

Pam Orchard, Chief Executive of The Connection at St Martin’s, said: “We’re pleased that the Mayor has continued his winter campaign this year, particularly as figures show it’s needed more than ever. Rough sleeping is not inevitable. We know that as a society we can end it, and we look forward to working with City Hall to achieve this.”

Bonnie Williams, Chief Executive of Housing Justice, said: “Housing Justice welcomes this initiative from the Mayor of London to bring Londoners together to support those experiencing rough sleeping this winter. We believe that homelessness ends in and with communities and that through contributing to the Mayor’s scheme we can all play our part.”