Number of people sleeping rough doubles in Leicestershire and Rutland

New government figures show homelessness has risen 130 per cent – well above the England national average rise of 26 per cent.

A survey of a single autumn night last year showed 46 people sleeping rough in the counties, compared to 20 in the last study in 2021.

There an increase in the Melton area of 50 per cent.

The data was collected as part of the government’s Rough Sleeping Snapshot in England for 2022.

Responding to the updated statistics, Dawn Wright, director of Emmaus Leicestershire and Rutland, a charity which provides a home and meaningful work for people who have experienced homelessness, said: “The figures are worrying and show that this is a problem that shouldn’t be ignored.

"We strongly believe that these figures are also just the tip of the iceberg.

"Homelessness is all around us and so much of it isn’t visible.

"With the cost-of-living crisis deepening, we know that so many people are living in unsecure or unsuitable accommodation, are having to sofa surf or are doing whatever they can to stay warm and dry over the winter months.”

The figures, released in February each year by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, reveal a snapshot of the number of people sleeping rough during a single autumn night in local authorities across England.

Click HERE to get advice from Melton Borough Council on homelessness for you or someone else .