Homeless Link responds to the CHAIN 2025/26 Q1 report.
On 31 July, the CHAIN homelessness database published its report detailing levels of rough sleeping in London between April and June 2025. CHAIN is the UK’s most detailed and comprehensive rough sleeping database.
Key findings include:
- 4,392 people were recorded as sleeping rough in the capital in April to June, an increase of 4% on the same time last year.
- 2,014 people were recorded as sleeping rough for the first time in Q1, 4% higher than the same time last year.
- The number of people classed as living on the streets was 788, 26% higher than the same time last year and 12% higher than January-March 2025.
Rick Henderson, CEO at Homeless Link, the national membership body for frontline homelessness services, said: “It is appalling that so many lives are being destroyed by being pushed into rough sleeping, in London and across the country. This data is yet more proof that too many people are being trapped on the streets and that the current support system is at breaking point.
“In the short term, homelessness services need to be enabled to continue to provide vital support for people in crisis.
“But, while we’ve been encouraged by the protection of homelessness spending and new programmes for prevention and adults with complex needs, we need to see a more ambitious and long-term national strategy that matches and supports the aims of the Mayor of London’s Rough Sleeping Plan of Action.
It is vital that the national Homelessness Strategy drives real change by ensuring that all government departments are accountable and working together to end homelessness. Key to this will be shifting the focus on to prevention so that fewer people become homeless in the first place and providing rapid, effective support to ensure that for those who do, homelessness is brief and non-recurrent.”
ENDS
