Rough sleeping in London has surged by a staggering 63 per cent over the last decade, according to official figures, prompting Mayor Sadiq Khan to pledge he is "confident" of reversing the trend.
A Decade of Rising Street Homelessness
Data from the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) shows the number of people recorded sleeping rough in the capital has climbed from 8,096 in the 2015/16 period to 13,231. This sharp increase has occurred largely during Mayor Khan's tenure in City Hall.
Despite the stark statistics, the Mayor has doubled down on his manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping in London entirely by 2030. He made the remarks during a visit to an extension hotel in East London, which is providing temporary accommodation for up to 180 people thanks to a £200,000 grant from the Greater London Authority.
Prevention and 'Perverse' Rules
Sir Sadiq argued that a continuous influx of new people to London is fuelling the numbers on the streets. He stated his strategy is now focused on "prevention and early intervention" to stop homelessness "at source".
The Mayor was sharply critical of current national verification rules, which often require someone to be proven as sleeping rough before they can access support. He branded these rules "perverse", suggesting they create an incentive for people to bed down on the streets. He vowed to push for changes to this system.
"Over the last nine and a half years, we've supported 20,000 rough sleepers," Khan said. "Three quarters of those have stayed off our streets... The problem is there are more and more new people coming to our capital city."
The Affordable Housing Barrier
However, leading charities have pointed to a deeper, structural issue. Francesca Albanese, Director of Policy at Crisis, identified the acute shortage of affordable housing in London as the major barrier to solving rough sleeping long-term.
"We need genuinely affordable housing now," Ms Albanese stated. "In London, less than four per cent of homes are affordable and that would make a massive difference."
This criticism comes amid scrutiny of the Mayor's housebuilding record. Recent GLA data indicated a slowdown, with developers starting work on just 1,239 affordable homes between April and September 2025, compared to 3,991 in the previous financial year.
While acknowledging the scale of the challenge, Mayor Khan pointed to past successes, including efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic, as proof that progress is possible. He highlighted new initiatives like 'Ending Homelessness hubs' and the 'Homes Off The Street' investment programme as key parts of his plan to finally "turn the tide".
