Statement on ONS homelessness deaths figures

A spokesperson for the church and charity, The Salvation Army, said:

“Any death of a person is tragic and these figures for England and Wales highlight the impact of the appalling level of homelessness - urgent action is needed before more lives are lost.

“The drastic rise in drug related deaths of 55% is extremely concerning and shows the importance of emergency and long term addiction support being available to people.

“We know through The Salvation Army’s work with people experiencing homelessness that cuts to local authority services designed to prevent homelessness have led to increased demands on emergency provision.

“Due to the severity of funding reductions The Salvation Army is increasingly subsidising supported housing schemes, including our addiction services to ensure vulnerable people continue to receive the help they desperately need.

“To reduce the high rates of deaths among homeless people the government must invest in support services to help people break the cycle of rough sleeping not just emergency shelters for those in need.”

Find out more about our homelessness work.