UK homeless deaths up 12% in a year, says monitoring project

Deaths among homeless people in the UK have risen by 12% in a year according to a group monitoring the issue which has warned of a “national emergency”.

The Museum of Homelessness said its research suggested at least 1,474 people died while homeless in the UK in 2023, up from 1,313 deaths recorded in 2022.

Within those figures, it said the deaths of people sleeping rough spiked by 42% from 109 to 155 in a year.

The Museum of Homelessness has been running the Dying Homeless Project since 2019 and gathers its data each year through freedom of information requests, coroners inquests and memorials submitted by bereaved family members.

It said some local authorities had not responded to Freedom of Information requests and branded this ” incredibly disappointing”.

Deaths in 2023 rose across England (983), Scotland (206) and Wales (97) but fell in Northern Ireland (188) compared with 2022.

The project identified what it described as “an epidemic of ‘deaths of despair’”, with almost half (47%) of deaths where the cause of death was known involving alcohol, drugs and suicide.

At least 38 people experiencing homelessness in 2023 died by suicide, the data suggested.

Gill Taylor, strategic lead for the project, said: “It is incredibly disappointing that some local authorities are still not counting the numbers of people dying homeless in their area.

“The evidence is clear that counting, reviewing and learning from deaths is key to preventing further loss of life. Every council should be recording homeless deaths and taking decisive action to prevent them.”

Project co-director Matt Turtle called for an increase in support, describing the systems of care for people living with poverty and homelessness as being “in tatters”.

He said: “People are dying on the street at terrifying rates. The only way to tackle this emergency is with an increase in support for off the streets accommodation, like winter shelters.”

He added: “Labour has not yet set out plans to mitigate the damage caused by the last government. Our analysis indicates things are set to get much grimmer, unless the Government acts now to save lives.”

The project will hold a vigil outside Downing Street on Thursday evening, alongside other frontline groups helping the homeless including the Simon Community, Streets Kitchen and The Outside Project.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “Every one of these deaths is a tragedy and is a damning indictment of the disgraceful rise in homelessness in recent years which has a devastating impact.

“We are taking action by setting up a dedicated cross-government group, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, to develop a long-term strategy to get us back on track to end homelessness.

“Councils and their partners deliver vital work to tackle rough sleeping including drug and alcohol treatment and wrap around support. Funding allocations will be set out following the Budget.”