‘DEEPLY concerning’ new figures have revealed rough sleeping in Coventry rose by 46 per cent last year.
The number of rough sleepers in the city rose from 11 to 16 people from 2023 to 2024, according to figures released by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The data was collected as part of the government’s Rough Sleeping Snapshot, which counts the number of people sleeping rough during a single night in October.
Falishia Channer, Director of homelessness charity Emmaus Coventry & Warwickshire, said: “These figures are deeply concerning and reflect what we’re seeing locally – more people struggling to find a stable home. More people than ever are now at risk.
“These statistics are just the tip of the iceberg. Many people experiencing homelessness are hidden – sofa surfing, staying in temporary accommodation, or living in unsafe conditions. They don’t appear in these figures, but they still need support.”
She called for long-term solutions such as more investment in homelessness services and social housing.
A spokesperson for Coventry City Council said its rough sleeper outreach team had been operating in Coventry for the past few years to secure permanent accommodation for rough sleepers.
They added: “Although we have seen an increase of people sleeping rough from 11 to 16 on any one night, we engage with dozens more over the period of a month.
“The number of people we find rough sleeping varies. For example, 16 people were found on a count in October, four in November, 16 in December and 10 in January.
“Approximately a third of the people we find only sleep rough for one night as we work with them to secure alternative accommodation. But we still work with others to support them.
“The outreach team works with agencies to tackle the reasons people end up rough sleeping – trauma, family breakdown, mental health and addiction issues, or no recourse to public funds.
“We have worked to increase the number of housing options. However there is a national housing crisis, and the number of rough sleepers and homeless households has risen across the country.
“With The Salvation Army, we run Steps for Change which is open from 9.30am till 4.30pm, Monday to Friday at Lamb Street, where homeless people can get support, help and advice.
“We would also ask people who see someone sleeping outside over night to report the details and location to www.thestreetlink.org.uk and the city’s outreach team will visit them and encourage them to get support and find accommodation.”
Visit www.emmaus.org.uk/coventry-warwickshire or call 024 7665 1094 for more information on Emmaus Coventry & Warwickshire.
