A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said:\u00a0\u201cDespite more than a decade of austerity and an alarming national rise in homelessness, unprecedented City Hall investment has helped 18,000 people off the streets in London, with more than three quarters of those supported to stay off the streets long term.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur record \u00a310 million funding earlier this year \u2013 more than any other single investment by a London mayor \u2013 is creating a new Ending Homelessness Hub and expanding the mayor\u2019s Homes off the Streets programme. The mayor will continue to take the lead in tackling rough sleeping \u2013 working closely with the government, London Councils<\/a> and the homelessness sector to build a safer, fairer London\u00a0for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n More than 2,000 people were spotted sleeping rough for the first time in London between April and June, comprising just under half of all those counted.<\/p>\n Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n Just under three quarters \u2013 1,446 people \u2013 spent just one night sleeping rough while 472 people \u2013 around 23% \u2013 went to sleep rough for several nights but did not go on to live on the streets. A total of 96 people \u2013 around 5% \u2013 went on to live on the streets long-term.<\/p>\n Jo Carter, CEO of Glass Door Homeless Charity<\/a>, said: \u201cIt\u2019s been more than a year since the mayor of London pledged to eliminate rough sleeping in London by 2030. What the latest figures show beyond all doubt is that we are nowhere near on track to meet this target, and things are going in completely the wrong direction.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Advertising helps fund Big Issue\u2019s mission to end poverty<\/p>\n \u201cThe goal of eliminating rough sleeping is the right one, and it should be absolutely achievable. But we\u2019ve got to face up to reality: nobody should have to sleep on the street, but more and more people are finding themselves with no other choice. Homelessness of all kinds is at record levels, and it will continue to get worse until the government starts treating the situation like the emergency it is.<\/p>\n \u201cThere have been some promising signs both from the mayor and national government, but the only way that they will achieve a meaningful impact is through drastic action to tackle the affordability of housing.\u201d<\/p>\n The most recent quarterly Chain figures follow the annual London count<\/a> released in June.<\/p>\n That showed 13,321 people slept rough in London between April 2024 and March 2025 \u2013 the highest yearly total on record.<\/p>\n Khan\u2019s rough sleeping action<\/a> plan focuses on prevention with a new network of Ending Homelessness Hubs and a new phoneline to prevent rough sleeping.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Labour is also promising to put prevention at the heart of plans to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, backed with almost \u00a31 billion of funding<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertising helps fund Big Issue\u2019s mission to end poverty<\/p>\n A cross-government strategy to end homelessness across England is set to be published later this year.<\/p>\n That will have to contend with several factors driving people on to the streets.<\/p>\n Crisis said rising rents<\/a>,\u00a0real-terms cuts\u00a0to\u00a0housing benefit<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0significant\u00a0gaps in support services as well as a\u00a0chronic shortage of\u00a0social and affordable housing is behind rising homelessness in London and beyond.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n