At least 78 homeless people died in UK over winter, figures reveal

At least 78 homeless people died on the streets and in temporary accommodation this winter, bringing the number of recorded homeless deaths to more than 300 since 2013, research has shown.

A former soldier, a quantum physicist and a 31-year-old man mourning the loss of his mother and brother were among those found dead in doorways, crowded shelters and tents pitched in freezing conditions since October last year.

This month, the Guardian reported that the number of recorded deaths of homeless people has more than doubled over the last five years, rising from 32 in 2013 to 77 in 2017*. So far, 40 deaths have been recorded this year, meaning at least 318 homeless people have died since 2013.

The figures for this winter compiled by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ), which show an average of at least two homeless deaths every week, are likely to be a significant underestimate as no part of the UK government records homeless death statistics at a national level, and local authorities are not obliged to record the information.

The average age of rough sleepers who died in the last five years was 43, around half the usual life expectancy in the UK. Where local authorities provided a gender, the figures showed that 88% of those who died were men.

Among them was 41-year-old Robert Wallis, who was found dead next to his mother at a homeless drop-in centre in Canterbury in March as heavy snow and sub-zero temperatures gripped the UK.

“I woke up and reached out for his hand but it felt really cold. I realised he was dead but tried to revive him,” his mother Eileen, who is also homeless, told KentOnline after her son’s death. “I knew he was ill, but this came completely out of the blue and I am devastated. I have no idea what my future holds now,” she added.

Like many other parts of the UK, charities in Canterbury have reported a surge in rough sleeping and homelessness. Community workers in the city say they regularly check on people sleeping in woodland and the countryside across Kent.

Rough sleeping has increased by 169% nationally since 2010. An estimated 4,751 people bedded down outside in 2017, but charities say the official statistics fail to capture the true level of street homelessness.

Austerity, rising rents and a lack of social housing have been blamed for the apparent surge in homeless deaths, and charities have called for multi-agency investigations after every death.

Jeremy Swain, chief executive of Thames Reach, which works with homeless people in London, has called for the government to record statistics to help determine the true extent of the problem.

“Triggered by public concern at the inexorable rise in rough sleeping, there is now much greater urgency from government to tackle rough sleeping across the country. In order to understand the issues that lead to people sleeping rough and find solutions to end to their homelessness we need strong data about who is sleeping rough. It is extraordinary and unacceptable that national data on rough sleepers is so limited,” he said.

The surge in homeless deaths comes as the BIJ launches its Dying Homeless project, which aims to establish accurate statistics on the issue. Members of the public, charities and local journalists are encouraged to report homeless deaths to put pressure on the government to officially record the data.

In response to the BIJ’s homeless death figures for this winter, a government spokesperson said: “Every death of someone sleeping rough on our streets is one too many.

“We are taking bold action and have committed to halving rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminating it by 2027.

“We are investing £1.2bn to tackle all forms of homelessness and earlier this month the Homeless Reduction Act, the most ambitious legislation in this area in decades, came into force.”

* The Guardian reported that 31 homeless deaths were recorded in 2013 and 70 in 2017 on Wednesday 11 April. Since publication, several local authorities have provided figures, which have been included in this piece.