"We need a cross-departmental government plan to tackle homelessness with long-term investment in prevention and services to support economically vulnerable people and households to prevent homelessness from happening in the first place."
Responding to figures from the Office for National Statistics on the number of deaths of people who were homeless in England and Wales in 2020, Cllr David Renard, Local Government Association housing spokesperson, said:
“These are deeply distressing figures, with many of these deaths preventable. The concern is they could be just the tip of the iceberg and underestimate the true number of deaths of homeless people.
“They prove just how vital it is that we build on the success of Everyone In, which saw councils act rapidly to help rough sleepers off the streets during the pandemic, and make sure it is not just a one-off emergency response.
“For that to happen, we need a cross-departmental government plan to tackle homelessness with long-term investment in prevention and services to support economically vulnerable people and households to prevent homelessness from happening in the first place. Councils also need to be able to deliver a house-building programme of 100,000 social homes for rent each year to tackle our severe social housing shortage.
“Councils are determined to ensure vulnerable people have the right support and treatment. With two in five deaths related to drug poisoning, this highlights the critical need for public health services to be fully funded.”