Rise in people sleeping rough across Milton Keynes
More people were sleeping rough on the streets of Milton Keynes last autumn, according to figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The figures come after a national snapshot survey of rough sleeping on a specific night last autumn, which found there were 35 rough sleepers in the city.
This is more than double the figure from the previous year, when 16 rough sleepers were recorded.
It was also higher than during 2021 when the Government introduced a programme called Everyone In, which aimed to eliminate homelessness and provide thousands of people who needed it with accommodation.
Nationally, the number of people estimated to be sleeping rough rose by 20 per cent last year to 4,667.
This is the second highest level on record, and almost twice the total of 2021, when the Everyone In scheme was introduced, during the coronavirus pandemic.
The figures are thought to be an under-estimate, as they do not include sofa surfers, those in hostels or shelters or people in recreational or traveller sites.
The number of women sleeping rough has increased nationally by 20 per cent last year, from 568 to 680, and including five in Milton Keynes.
Chief executive of housing charity Shelter Polly Neate said: "Homelessness has a simple solution - a safe, secure social rent home gives everyone the chance to succeed, but that’s nowhere near enough.
"If the Government is serious about tackling the housing emergency, we must see ambitious investment in social housing in June's Spending Review.
"Investing in 90,000 social rent homes a year for 10 years would give families a fighting chance and end homelessness for good."
Minister for Homelessness Rushanara Ali added: "We’re taking determined action to turn the tide and that’s why this week this Government stepped in to double our emergency homelessness funding to £60 million as an immediate support for councils to keep people in their homes.
"This comes alongside the £1 billion we have already committed this year to tackle the root causes of homelessness, including the largest ever investment in preventative services, so we can put in place long-lasting solutions, not just sticking plasters, to end this crisis."