August 2020
Rough sleeping rose in the UK during lockdown despite government scheme.
The Guardian newspaper reveals that although the government claimed that it had almost eradicated rough sleeping at the peak of the Covid-19 crisis through its £3.2 million ‘Everyone In’ scheme, reports of rough sleeping rose in the UK during that period.
New figures from the homelessness charity Streetline show the picture is a complex one with an increase in alerts by members of the public about rough sleepers. Charities believe that although the government’s scheme housed many, new people were forced onto the streets after they lost their jobs due to Covid-19 restrictions.