The Big Issue

THE DISPATCH

HOMELESSNESS

A person died while homeless every 6.5 hours in the UK last year

More than 4,000 people have died while homeless across the UK since 2019, according to a grassroots count that showed a surge in deaths in England and Wales last year.

The Museum of Homelessness (MOH) Dying Homeless count found 1,313 people died while rough sleeping or in emergency or insecure housing across the UK, representing a two per cent rise on the 1,286 deaths recorded in 2021.

The count showed stark regional differences across the UK with the number of deaths counted in England rising 22 per cent to 875 and up 27 per cent in Wales to 76. Meanwhile Northern Ireland and Scotland both saw numbers fall sharply by a third and 15 per cent respectively.

MOH director Matt Turtle said the true figure is likely to be higher and warned the government’s efforts to tackle homelessness may not be enough to prevent more people losing their life without a safe, stable place to call home.

museumofhomelessness.org

People who died while homeless in the UK

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HOUSING

Landlords are pocketing £1.6bn in housing benefit for providing renters with horror homes

Rogue landlords in England are pocketing £1.6 billion in taxpayers’ cash to leave renters

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