New figures collected by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism have revealed 449 people died homeless in the UK last year.

Responding, Crisis Chief Executive Jon Sparkes said:  

“We are deeply saddened and shocked beyond belief to hear of the deaths of all these individuals. To think of just one person dying due to the consequences of poverty and homelessness is appalling, but to learn of the sheer scale of those who’ve lost their lives in the past year is nothing short of horrifying. This is a wake-up call to see homelessness as a national emergency.

“Behind these statistics are 449 unique human beings, ranging from teenagers to people in their 90s – a gardener, an astrophysicist, musicians, fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers. Not only will 449 families or significant others have to cope with their loss, they will have to face the injustice that their loved one was forced to live the last days of their life without the dignity of a decent roof over their head, and a basic safety net that might have prevented their death. No-one deserves this.

“We know that sleeping rough is dangerous, but this investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism reminds us it’s deadly. Those sleeping on our streets are exposed to everything from sub-zero temperatures, to violence and abuse, and fatal illnesses. They are 17 times more likely to be a victim of violence, twice as likely to die from infections, and nine times more likely to commit suicide. What’s worse, these figures might even be an underestimate.

“The magnitude of this loss affects every one of us because it reflects on our society and on our system for letting it happen in the first place. Not only has it happened, but troublingly, it has happened unchecked. We must all take responsibility to hold society and our system to account, and ensure it doesn’t continue to happen across our country.                                                         

“To honour the memories of all those who’ve lost their lives to homelessness we must act now to bring about a positive change. It’s good news that the ONS has acted on this investigation and will be publishing its own figures to record homeless deaths. We hope this leads to a more systematic approach from government, but this must go further. 

“The Safeguarding Adult Review (SAR) system, currently used to investigate the deaths of vulnerable adults, should be extended to include all people who have died while homeless. This will allow us to have a more accurate picture of the number of people who die on our streets, and will give the authorities, councils and homelessness services valuable information that could help them prevent the deaths of rough sleepers in the future. But ultimately, we must urge the Government to do what it takes to end rough sleeping – and all forms of homelessness – once and for all. We know it can be done, and in one of the wealthiest countries in the world, there is no excuse for this tragedy to carry on.”