Rough sleeping is soaring in London, with over 1,700 more people on the streets than last year – a 21% rise, according to figures from the Greater London Authority (GLA).
The increase from 8,329 people seen sleeping rough in 2021-22 to 10,053 in 2022-23 was described as “categorically terrible” by Rick Henderson, the chief executive of the Homeless Link frontline charity, and “extremely alarming” by Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London.
At the same time we’re criminalising asking for money on the tube, with the patronising recorded message asking us not to “encourage” anyone.
Still don’t understand why they’re called rough sleepers. Sleeping on the streets is not “sleeping rough”. That term is for when you had bad sleep because you had an all nighter or your baby kept you up all night. It really trivializes their situation.
