Homelessness in London has been a major cause for concern for years. Even with the dedicated support of local food banks and new government legislation, rough sleepers continue to be exploited as vulnerable members of society whilst facing freezing winter temperatures every year with no protective measures.
The UK’s cost-of-living crisis has had devastating consequences for the growing number of people affected by rising bills and housing costs. New City Hall analysis suggests that the number of people sleeping rough in London has increased by 21% over the past year; London Mayor Sadiq Khan has referenced the ‘extremely concerning’ rise in homelessness as ‘further evidence of the devastating fallout from the cost-of-living crisis’.
As a resident of South-West London, I have noticed a startling increase in rough sleepers particularly around Clapham Junction and Northcote Road. According to a Statista report, between 2021-2022, 264 people were sleeping rough in Wandsworth, making it the London borough with the 12th-highest number of rough sleepers (Westminster leading with a shocking 1,968).
The work of local food banks forms the bulk of voluntary support of homeless people: there are two main food banks in Wandsworth, Battersea Foodbank and Wandsworth Foodbank, which offer food and supplies to those in need. The Wandsworth Foodbank is part of the Trussell Trust-run nationwide network of food banks, and during the 2020-21 financial year, it provided 9,000 3-day emergency food supplies to people in crisis in the Wandsworth area. The Battersea Foodbank, run by the London-based charity Oasis, is open three days a week and, alongside its provision of emergency food supplies, offers support and signposting to other services for people in crisis.
One of the most recent government policies to reduce homelessness in the UK is the 2018 Rough Sleeping Initiative, which funds local authorities' efforts to tackle rough sleeping in their areas. The government has also recently announced a £3.2 billion investment in housing to help deliver more affordable homes, which is part of a wider plan to build 300,000 new homes annually by the mid-2020s. Other government initiatives are in progress, showing a nationwide dedication to eventually ending homelessness in the UK.
The support of government legislation and volunteers has led to progress in raising awareness of the urgency of homelessness, but there is still more to be done: distressing research from Shelter has shown that in 2022, 1 in 58 people in London were homeless. While major reforms are the only thing that will create significant change regarding this crisis, individuals are encouraged to continue to volunteer at and donate to local food banks to make small steps towards a more supportive society.
