Rough sleeping

More and more people are sleeping rough. Living on the streets is dangerous. It causes health problems and affects people’s wellbeing.

How can this be solved?

We think that it is possible to end rough sleeping. All public services have their role to play in preventing people from ending up on the streets. This includes health services and the criminal justice system.

Join the conversation

The issues explained

Enforcement

Rough sleepers are being punished by measures introduced to tackle antisocial behaviour.

Rough sleepers and complex needs

Rough sleeping is dangerous and isolating. Long periods spent sleeping rough leads to health prob...

Ending rough sleeping

Rough sleeping is rising across the UK. Not enough is being done to address this.

Scale and impact

Our research into the scale and experience of rough sleeping including enforcement interventions.

4,134

Estimated number of people sleeping rough in 2016 on a single night in Autumn across England

This was up by 16% on 2015.

Homelessness knowledge hub

Campaign

Campaign success: when the snap general election was called in 2017 we successfully campaigned, with other homeless charities, for the major political parties in England to commit to end rough sleeping.

Campaign successes

News

Blog

Vagrancy Act criminalises homeless people, sadly its harm goes deeper

Matt Downie MBE

It is time to repeal the Vagrancy Act, yes. But if the answer was ever about whether to criminalise people, then we have been asking the wrong question. If we can see our way past labelling, grouping, dismissing, damning, pointlessly prosecuting and fining people, perhaps we can start answering the right question. What help and support do people need to realise their potential, and how quickly can we get it to everyone that needs it?

27/06/2019

Press Release

Politicians, police & charities urge government to scrap Vagrancy Act

The centuries-old Vagrancy Act, which makes rough sleeping and begging illegal in England and Wales, should be scrapped because it is needlessly pushing vulnerable people further from help, according to a new report from homelessness charity Crisis. The calls come as the Government today announces its review of the Act as part of its rough sleeping strategy.

19/06/2019

Press Release

798 people have died while homeless since October 2017

New figures from the Bureau of Investigative Journalism have revealed that 798 people have died w...

11/03/2019

What you can do

Volunteer

By volunteering with Crisis you can make a real difference to people experiencing homelessness.

Volunteer

Campaign

Help us campaign for the changes we know are needed to end homelessness for good.

Campaign