For the purpose of the estimates, people sleeping rough are defined as:
People sleeping, about to bed down (sitting on/in or standing next to their bedding) or actually bedded down in the open air (such as on the streets, in tents, doorways, parks, bus shelters or encampments). People in buildings or other places not designed for habitation (such as stairwells, barns, sheds, car parks, cars, derelict boats, stations, or “bashes”).
A bash, or bender, is a makeshift shelter structure, often made from tarpaulin or wood.
It is important that partner agencies taking part understand the definition of rough sleeping and do not include people in hostels or shelters, individuals who are sofa-surfing, people in campsites or other sites used for recreational purposes or organised protest, squatters or Travellers.
If you have a site in your area that you are unsure falls under the rough sleeping definition or exclusions above, you should contact the Rough Sleeping Snapshot Project Coordinator. The Homeless Link Quality Assurance Verifier will also be able to offer guidance during the quality assurance process.
The rough sleeping statistics do not include every form of homelessness or everyone sleeping rough during October and November – it is a single night snapshot, which includes only people seen, or thought to be, sleeping rough on the chosen single ‘typical’ night using one definition, as above.
