London mayor calls for govt help as homelessness jumps

LONDON: The number of rough sleepers on London’s streets has increased by almost a quarter this winter, the latest figures showed Wednesday, as Britain battles a cost-of-living crisis.

Homelessness charities recorded 4,389 people sleeping rough in the last three months of 2023, up from 3,570 during the same period a year before — an increase of 23 percent.

More than 1,200 people used emergency accommodation during a two-week cold snap in January, when mayor Sadiq Khan activated the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol, around 30 percent more than during the same period last year.

Of those, 242 people reported that they were newly-granted refugees who had just left government-provided accommodation, according to data from London Councils, which represents all 32 local authorities in the British capital.