We congratulate Mayor Sadiq Khan on his re-election, and as a leading agency working with people affected by rough sleeping in London, we’re eager to continue working with him in his commitment to end street homelessness in the Capital by 2030.

This is not the first time we have heard promises of this type, but Thames Reach is determined to work with the Mayor and the Greater London Authority (GLA) to ensure that this time it becomes a reality.

The rough sleeping services currently commissioned by the GLA, as well as boroughs across London, have a significant role to play. However, achieving this goal will require more affordable housing coupled with effective support to prevent and help people recover from the trauma of rough sleeping.

The latest findings from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) Quarterly Report for Q4, covering January to March 2024, reveal a concerning trend in rough sleeping numbers in London.

Compiled from data collected by outreach teams across the capital, the report reveals that a total of 4,118 individuals were recorded sleeping rough during this period. While this is a reduction against the previous quarter’s total of 4389,  this marks a significant 33% increase compared to the same period in 2023. Moreover, the number of new rough sleepers recorded during this period was 37% higher than in the previous year.

It is particularly troubling that the number of people deemed to be ‘living on the streets’* has increased by a third, emphasising a troubling trend of people spending longer periods without stable accommodation.

Chantelle Gardner, Project Manager at Thames Reach’s Lambeth Rough Sleeper Outreach Team, expressed concern over the surge. “During the last two quarters, our Living on the Streets (LOS) worker reported a definitive increase in workload and complexity of the individuals they were working with. Substance misuse and systemic barriers to support services have all contributed to this increase”, she stated.

During January to March 2024, there were 511 people recorded as living on the streets, with 68 of them new to rough sleeping in London and remaining on the streets during the period. This compares to 376 people during the same quarter the previous year.

The report also notes a declining proportion of European nationals sleeping rough over the last two quarters compared to the previous ones. This has been accompanied by a surge in people from other nationalities, emphasising the need for a multifaceted approach to tackling homelessness in London.

Thames Reach’s outreach teams are dedicated to addressing the root causes of rough sleeping and providing essential support to individuals living on the streets. Together, we are actively working to define and implement effective measures to address this concerning trend.

For those interested in exploring the full report, it can be accessed here: https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset/chain-reports

• Living on the Streets is defined as: Those who have had a high number of contacts over 3 weeks or more which suggests they are living on the street

Cllr Helen Dennis, Cabinet Member for New Homes, met with Thames Reach Chief Executive Bill Tidnam as she signed the London Charter to End Rough Sleeping on behalf of Southwark Council. Cllr Kieron Williams, Leader of Southwark Council, was also in attendance.

The Charter, which Thames Reach wholeheartedly supports, aims to unite individuals, businesses, faith groups, charities, and public bodies in the shared mission to eliminate rough sleeping in our city. It represents a public commitment, a pledge to strengthen partnerships, and an opportunity for diverse communities to actively contribute to a solution.

Quotes from those attending

Cllr Helen Dennis, Southwark’s Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development, said:

“I’m proud to be here today with Thames Reach to make this incredibly important pledge to end homelessness and rough sleeping in our borough. Rough sleeping is a dangerous, isolating experience and should have no place in a modern, wealthy city. We’re determined to end it in our borough and to work together with our network of partners to support those who are homeless or vulnerable into a safe, secure home.”

Bill Tidnam, Thames Reach Chief Executive, said:

“Local authorities like Southwark are in the forefront of the effort to prevent homelessness, and to make sure that no-one need sleep on the streets.  We recognise that this isn’t always easy in the current environment and we welcome Cllr Dennis’ signing of the Charter and the clear commitment this makes on behalf of the borough to work towards ending rough sleeping.”

The charter

By signing the Charter, individuals, businesses, and organisations make a real impact. It keeps the issue in the spotlight, showing policymakers that many care about ending rough sleeping in London.

Whether you’ve been a committed advocate or are new to the cause, your support goes a long way. Visit the Charter website to sign up, make a pledge, donate, or volunteer. Every small action adds up to the collective effort to end rough sleeping in London.

In collaboration with the City of London Corporation, we are pleased to announce the opening of a state-of-the-art Rough Sleeping Assessment Centre in the heart of the Square Mile. This residential service, operated by Thames Reach, marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to end rough sleeping in the City of London.

Funded by the City of London Corporation, the centre provides 14 short-stay beds to rough sleepers, offering a safe and supportive environment for individuals with complex needs. Our dedicated team will deliver round-the-clock support, 365 days a year, working closely with health and social care providers to establish pathways away from rough sleeping and into permanent accommodation.

Situated within the grounds of the Church of Holy Sepulchre on Snow Hill Court, the assessment centre occupies a former school building that has been meticulously refurbished with the specific needs of the individuals we support in mind.

Bill Tidnam, Chief Executive at Thames Reach, expressed his enthusiasm for the new facility, stating, “The opening of this assessment centre represents a significant step forward in our mission to provide tangible support to those experiencing homelessness in the City. By collaborating closely with the City of London Corporation, we can offer individuals sleeping rough a credible local solution, accelerating the process of assessment and intervention.”

In addition to the new assessment centre, Thames Reach works tirelessly alongside the City Corporation to address homelessness and rough sleeping in the Square Mile. Through commissioned outreach services, we strive to identify and support individuals who are rough sleeping, ensuring that they don’t have to stay more than one night on the streets.

Floating support involves a named keyworker building a relationship with a vulnerable resident that will help them to learn to live an independent life. Its aim is to help people avoid hospital admissions, having to rely on social care services, or end up in the criminal justice system.

Run by Thames Reach, the Hounslow Reach service is available to all Hounslow residents aged 18 and over who are vulnerable because they have additional needs, such as mental or physical health conditions or a learning disability.

London Borough of Hounslow commissioned Thames Reach to run this service after a competitive tendering process.

You can find out if the service could help you by contacting the Targeted Support Team within Community Solutions at FSTargetedSupport@hounslow.gov.uk or calling 020 8583 2211. The team will get in touch with you to understand the support you need. People can also visit Hounslow Reach to find out more about the service at Hounslow’s Community Hubs at the following times:

– Mondays 10am – 1pm: Hounslow House, Ground floor, TW3 3EB

– Tuesdays 2pm – 5pm: Feltham Assembly Hall, Hounslow Road, TW14 9DN

– Thursdays 1pm – 4pm: Feltham Library, High Street, TW13 4GU.

Bill Tidnam, Chief Executive at Thames Reach, said: “At Thames Reach, we are very conscious of the vital role that floating support can play in helping people fulfil their potential to live independent lives and participate fully in society. We are grateful to Hounslow for giving us the opportunity to bring our 25 years of experience in this work to the borough and we look forward to working with local communities to build a service that meets their needs.

Councillor Samia Chaudhary, Hounslow Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Transformation, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Thames Reach to our family of commissioned services in Hounslow. To have such a fantastic organisation offering support to Hounslow residents fills me with confidence that first-rate support will be available to anyone who needs it.

“The team is already doing fantastic work across the borough and I look forward to working with them further on the excellent Hounslow Reach project. Their presence will make such a difference to our most vulnerable residents’ wellbeing.”

The Royal Borough of Greenwich reaffirmed its commitment to ending rough sleeping this week, as senior council figures signed the London Charter to End Rough Sleeping.

Council Leader, Cllr Anthony Okereke, and Cllr Pat Slattery, Cabinet Member for Housing, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness, met with Thames Reach Chief Executive Bill Tidnam as they signed the London Charter to End Rough Sleeping on behalf of the Royal Borough of Greenwich at Woolwich Town Hall.

The Charter, which Thames Reach wholeheartedly supports, aims to unite individuals, businesses, faith groups, charities, and public bodies in the shared mission to eliminate rough sleeping in our city. It represents a public commitment, a pledge to strengthen partnerships, and an opportunity for diverse communities to actively contribute to a solution.

Quotes from those attending

Bill Tidnam, Thames Reach Chief Executive, said: “Rough sleeping is the most extreme manifestation of the housing crisis in London.  The Royal Borough of Greenwich has a clear commitment to working to end rough sleeping in the borough, with a range of services aimed at prevention, intervention and recovery.  It’s great to see real leadership on this issue from the Leader, Anthony Okereke, and Councillor Pat Slattery, as they join the Mayor in signing the London Charter to End Rough Sleeping.

Cllr Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Council, said: “I am incredibly proud to be able to sign the London Charter to End Rough Sleeping with our Cabinet Member for Housing, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness, on behalf of Royal Greenwich. It is vitally important that we come together with partners and as a community to develop and deliver solutions to end rough sleeping for good and ensure that everyone has a roof over their heads.”

Cllr Pat Slattery, Cabinet Member for Housing, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness, said: “Many people who sleep rough can face fear, loneliness and hunger and we are determined to do everything we can to end it here in Greenwich, which is why the Leader and I are delighted to have signed the London Charter to End Rough Sleeping.

“As a Council we are already at the forefront in London of providing emergency support to rough sleepers during severe cold weather spells and our Housing Inclusion Service works tirelessly to offer much-needed longer-term support – including permanent placements – to help many of them rebuild their lives and stay off the streets permanently”.

The charter

By signing the Charter, individuals, businesses, and organisations make a real impact. It keeps the issue in the spotlight, showing policymakers that many care about ending rough sleeping in London.

Whether you’ve been a committed advocate or are new to the cause, your support goes a long way. Visit the Charter website to sign up, make a pledge, donate, or volunteer. Every small action adds up to the collective effort to end rough sleeping in London.

Released on 31 January, the CHAIN Quarterly Report for rough sleeping in London (October-December 2023) exposes a concerning reality: outreach teams recorded 4389 individuals sleeping rough during this period, rising 8% from the previous quarter and marking a significant 23% increase from the same timeframe in 2022. 

Other key statistics are as follows: 

– 2,283 people were recorded as sleeping rough for the first time. This is the second highest quarterly figure ever reported and represents a huge annual increase of 34% and a 9% increase on the previous quarter. 

– The number of people classed as ‘living on the streets’ was at its highest ever quarterly level, at 560, having grown by 24% compared to the same period last year. 

– The percentage of people from outside the UK found rough sleeping in this period was higher than in the previous quarter. 

These findings reinforce the growing need for outreach teams that are well-equipped to engage with both new rough sleepers and those already living on the streets.  

Furthermore, outreach teams need access to accommodation that can effectively support individuals with diverse needs, particularly those from outside the UK. The City and Lambeth Assessment Centres, operated by Thames Reach, play a crucial role in this regard, serving as initial points of support for those transitioning off the streets. 

Focusing on prevention is also pivotal to understanding why people are spending at least one night on the streets and how this can be avoided. Hounslow Reach, a new prevention service delivered by Thames Reach in the London Borough of Hounslow, exemplifies important prevention measures such as providing advice and support to individuals at risk of losing their homes. 

At Thames Reach, we are committed to continue working with local authorities, the GLA, and fellow charities to implement effective solutions and prevent further escalation of this crisis.  

Our Director of Services, Kristian Draper, notes “The increasing number of people rough sleeping is a cause for concern. We’re also noticing shifts in the patterns of rough sleeping, making it crucial for us, as a sector, to ensure that our resources are directed to where they are most needed. This involves providing effective services for those on the streets and collaborating to offer quick alternatives to help them move away from rough sleeping. 

“At the same time, we must use this and other data to come up with innovative solutions and allocate resources to prevent people from needing to sleep rough and support them in quickly and permanently leaving homelessness behind.” 

Read this and other CHAIN reports here.

We’re pleased to share the assessment reports produced by the Rough Sleeping Advisory Panel—a collaboration of leading experts from local government and homelessness charities, working together to scrutinise, support, and challenge progress on the Government’s Ending Rough Sleeping for Good Strategy.

Thames Reach led the recovery and intervention sub-group alongside Housing Justice, contributing insights on achievements and areas that still require attention. Read the full report at https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/rough-sleeping-strategy-delivery-assessment-roundtable-recovery-and-intervention

The other sub-groups focused on prevention and transparent, joined-up systems. For a comprehensive view of progress and ongoing efforts in each of these areas, visit the links below:

• Prevention: https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/rough-sleeping-advisory-panel-prevention-sub-group-feedback

• Transparent, joined-up systems: https://www.local.gov.uk/publications/ending-rough-sleeping-good-progress-assessment-transparent-and-joined-system

Last year, 11,018 people slept rough on the streets of London. Shockingly, the numbers are on the rise with a staggering 250% increase in rough sleeping in the past decade.  

Sleeping rough is a demeaning, damaging and often dangerous experience. In fact, it’s so harmful that a person who sleeps rough has an average age at death of just 44 years. 

The challenges of outreach

Most people would assume that if you were homeless and had a chance to leave behind life on the streets, you would jump at it. But homelessness is a complex issue. Many people find it hard to trust others as they’ve been let down by family, friends or institutions. Many have endured physical or mental abuse, making it even harder to accept help. Our outreach teams understand these challenges, and the importance of building trusting relationships before an individual feels able to accept support.  

What Thames Reach is doing to help end rough sleeping

Our outreach teams are on the frontlines, working tirelessly across London 365 days a year. We comb the city, searching for people as they are bedding down on the streets at night and waking up early in the morning. It is our aim to bring people inside, to a place of safety. 

Last year we helped 1,240 people get off the streets of London and helped begin this journey for many more. 

How you can help

The more hours we are out on the streets, the more people we see, the more lives we save. Please donate whatever you can and help us end rough sleeping in London.

Donate now

Our outreach workers help people who are homeless to get off the streets. They are out every night of the year, helping people find accommodation, access healthcare, and other services they might need, such as benefit advice. 

Getting a roof over someone’s head is just the first step

Homelessness is a systemic and political failure. We find people who have fallen out of a broken system and we’re trying to put them back in. 

Once a person becomes homeless, they can become trapped and it’s difficult to escape as they need support to help navigate the system. 

At Thames Reach, we focus on the person as an individual – not just a sleeping bag in a doorway. Getting a roof over someone’s head is just the first step; our job is to help people feel human again and get them back into the system. In order to do that, we have to build trust with an individual and that can take time. 

Our support is tailored to the individual. For one person that might mean helping them fill in forms, for another it might mean going with them to an appointment. 

Giving hope and a roadmap to a way out

As well as practical advice and support, we give hope to the people we support. Many people who have been homeless feel hopeless. Our job is to give them a credible roadmap to feeling hopeful again. Something as simple as taking someone to have a haircut can help make them feel human again, and hopeful that their situation can improve.  

We never give up

Once we have made contact with an individual, we stay in touch with them until they are no longer rough sleeping. We often get told about people sleeping rough in certain locations, as if no one knows about them or is doing anything, but we do know nearly all of these people and are doing something about it. Not everyone feels ready to stop rough sleeping. It takes time for them to build trust with us, especially if they’ve been failed by systems or institutions in the past. 

Volunteer for us

Our volunteers work alongside our outreach workers to help find and engage people sleeping rough. If you are interested in volunteering for us and can commit to at least one night a month, then get in touch for more information.

Find out more about volunteering