Bristol Council log more than 1,500 counts of rough sleeping since 2021

More than 1,500 counts of rough sleeping were logged by the council in Bristol over the past three years, a new investigation has revealed. Figures obtained by Advice.co.uk gathered by FOI requests found that Bristol City Council has logged 1,628 counts of rough sleeping in the area since 2021.

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. 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 Bristol City Council stood at 463. A year later, this number increased, with the total being 550.

The past year has seen another rise in rough sleeping counts in the area, standing at 615. These figures include duplicates as someone sleeping rough might be seen more than once over the course of a year.

Due to the rising cost of rent as well as the cost of living crisis pushing more people to seek help, councils are struggling to find and fund temporary accommodation. Riverside, a charity providing hostel accommodation, said there had been no significant investment in hostels in England since 2011, and the number of bed spaces in England had fallen by almost a quarter between 2010 and 2022.

Speaking to the Big Issue, John Glenton, the executive director of Riverside, said: “Increased investment in supported housing would provide more spaces to help get more people out of temporary accommodation into a dedicated space where they can receive the support they need. These services provide a route out of homelessness and help to reduce spending on very expensive, and often inadequate, temporary housing.”

The latest government statistics show 358,370 households contacted their local authority for support after being threatened with homelessness or losing their home in 2023-24, up more than 10% in a year. Of these, 324,990 were assessed as homeless.

Additionally, 3,898 people were sleeping rough on a single night in Autumn 2023, this was up more than a quarter on the 3,069 people counted in 2022 and is more than double the 1,768 people on the streets in 2010. Homelessness charities called the figures ‘shameful’ and urged the Labour government to ‘act to put an end to rough sleeping’.

Advice.co.uk offers free advice and support to people who have run into problems with their housing, which may have led to them suffering an injury. They operate a 24-hour helpline and claim online form, which you can access on their website.