Rough sleepers up by 7% putting pressure on local facilities
Residents of Kingston have voiced their concerns about what to do about rough sleepers on the streets as winter approaches.
Locals have called for councillors and landlords to take more action as volunteers at foodbank services said the issue is putting pressure on local facilities.
Jill Preston, a Kingston resident, said: “We run a ‘Tuesday Group’ Foodbank from noon at St Peter’s Church, Norbiton. Guests exceed 120 per week.”
Susan Leonard, who works at a Foodbank hub in Hillcross, said that it had resorted to stocking up on pot noodles due to a lack of cooking facilities.
She added: “We don’t get many homeless clients calling in because clients have to have a voucher to get a food parcel,”
She continued: “If a rough sleeper does come in, we try to adapt their food parcel to make it more “portable”. There is no point giving them rice and pasta when they have no cooking facilities.”
CHAIN, a multi-agency database funded by the Mayor of London, revealed earlier this year a 7% increase in the number of rough sleepers in their latest reports on Kingston and surrounding boroughs from January to March 2024.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said the rising numbers of people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping in London and across the country is “shameful”.
The spokesperson said: “The Mayor is committed to doing everything in his power to help as many people as possible off the streets and into more secure accommodation, which is why he’s quadrupled City Hall’s rough sleeping budget since 2016, supporting 16,500 people off the streets to-date.
“Sadiq will work hand-in-hand with the new Government to increase the delivery of services and support to tackle homelessness and end rough sleeping in the capital by 2030 – helping to build a better, fairer London for everyone.”
Kingston residents blame rent hikes and urge further initiatives from councils
Residents say more can be done by the local community to help homeless people this winter.
Concerns were raised as the average monthly private rent in Kingston rose by 7.2% to £1,685 in September 2024 from £1,572 in September 2023, according to the Office for National Statistics on October 16.
This latest data revealed that one bed property rent also rose by 7.8%, while the average for four-or-more bed properties increased by 5.4%.
Nana Maynard, a Norbiton resident, said: “It’s very sad that people get homeless. Personally, I think the hike in rents has caused the increase. How do landlords justify £2500 for a one bed flat and £3500 for 2 beds…before bills?”
Christina Gore, a resident from Hampton Wick, said she takes in rough sleepers and suggested the council re-home people as lodgers.
Liz Croft, a resident from Kew, has experience looking after homeless people as lodgers and echoed concerns that ending homelessness is “a political choice.”
“High rents and reluctance of landlords and costs of living squeeze on incomes, meaning people are less willing to give,” she said.
She added: “to reduce the issue, fix the above. But reporting to Streetlink [a platform that connects people rough sleeping in England and Wales to support provided by local authorities and charities] gets the homeless embroiled in a broken system and many do not have the ability to navigate so go back on the streets.”
Earlier this year, 17.8 households were reported to be living in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households in London, compared with 2.5 households per 1,000 in the ‘Rest of England.’
Richard Thorpe, Co-Chair of Kingston Council’s Corporate and Resources committee, announced in August the decision to buy 50 homes to use as temporary accommodation to help tackle the challenges faced by homeless people in Kingston.
Thorpe said the council’s initiative could save the borough up to “£750k a year” by reducing the reliance on nightly-paid accommodation.
The Kingston Council has been contacted for further comment.
