976 people died while homeless in the UK last year - 37% more than the year before

By Ethan Shone
Published 23rd Feb 2021, 15:39 BST
Updated 23rd Feb 2021, 15:40 BST
976 people died while homeless in the UK last year - 37% more than the year before (Photo by Hollie Adams/Getty Images) 976 people died while homeless in the UK last year - 37% more than the year before (Photo by Hollie Adams/Getty Images)
976 people died while homeless in the UK last year - 37% more than the year before (Photo by Hollie Adams/Getty Images)

The number of deaths among homeless people went up by 37 per cent last year in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, according to new data.

The Museum of Homelessness found that 976 people died while homeless last year, meaning a person sleeping rough died every nine and a half hours in 2020.

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The alarming rise in deaths comes despite the UK Government’s ‘Everyone In’ scheme, which was put in place during the pandemic to try and avoid the deaths of homeless people from Covid-19 by providing emergency hotel accommodation.

‘Staggering increase’

While only three per cent of deaths were related to Covid, the combined systemic impact of cuts to welfare, mental health, addiction and housing services over the last decade are all thought to be drivers behind the rising rate of deaths.

Jess Turtle, co-founder of the Museum of Homelessness (MoH) said: “A hotel or hostel room is no substitute for a safe home. The government touts Everyone In as a runaway success. But it didn’t stop a staggering increase in the number of people dying while homeless– despite the best efforts of our colleagues around the country who worked 24 hours a day on emergency response.