Agenda item

Report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services.

The Sub-Committee considered a report of the Director of Community and Children’s Services in respect of rough sleeping data for Quarter 2 2021/22 and the following point was made:

·         The total number of rough sleepers in the City of London in Quarter 1 2021/22 was 127 individuals, which represented a 38.04% increase on the previous quarter and a 20.95% increase on the same period in 2020/21, although this was still a reduction on the levels of rough sleeping seen prior to the pandemic.  Of these rough sleepers, 44 were identified as new, an increase of 109.5% on the previous quarter, of which 63.6% had not spent a second night out on the street, demonstrating the success of the City of London Corporation’s high assessment accommodation rates but also indicating the transitory nature of rough sleepers moving onto other boroughs before meaningful engagement could be made.  There had been 43 individuals supported into accommodation or reconnection during this period, which was a high rate compared with neighbouring boroughs.  A focus would continue to be placed on supporting individuals who were homeless or rough sleeping into appropriate accommodation moving forward, as well as ensuring new rough sleepers did not spend a second night on the street.

RESOLVED, that the report be noted.