Rough sleeping in city up by more than 25%

THE number of counts of rough sleeping in Plymouth has gone up by more than a quarter in the last year, according to figures released by a charity - as the city continues to wrestle with the issue of homelessness.

- ANDY PHILLIPS

Data obtained by Advice.co.uk has claimed that Plymouth City Council logged 480 counts of rough sleeping in the area in 2023/24 - a sharp increase on the 385 counts recorded in 2022/23.

Rough sleeping is one of the most visible types of homelessness as it includes sleeping outside, or in places that aren't designed for people to live in, including cars, doorways and abandoned buildings.

Many rough sleepers are vulnerable and struggle with complex physical and mental issues such as addiction.

In 2018, the average age of a rough sleeper at death was just 44 years old for men and 42 years old for women.

The charity has said that when support structures that prevent rough sleeping, like emergency accommodation, are unavailable, people can be forced to the streets. Once someone is forced into homelessness, these problems can become more difficult to resolve.

In 2021/22, the number of rough sleeping counts logged by Plymouth City Council stood at 335. A year later, this number increased, with the total being 385.

The past year has seen a significant rise in rough sleeping counts in the area, standing at 480.

The authors of a study around the figures have blamed the rising cost of rent, as well as the cost of living crisis pushing more people to seek help.

They claimed councils are struggling to find and fund temporary accommodation, although a Freedom of Information query to Plymouth City Council this year revealed that the authority has spent more than £7m on temporary accommodation since 2021.

Meanwhile, Plymouth Community Homes say they have helped 213 local homeless families to find a permanent home over the past six months in time for Christmas - an increase of 12% on the same period in 2023.