London's 'spiralling' housing crisis in numbers

London's housing crisis has reached alarming levels, with rough sleeping numbers soaring to 4,427 in early 2025, reflecting an 8% rise from 2024. The Combined Homelessness and Information Network indicates that new rough sleepers constitute nearly half of the total. Local councils face an unsustainable financial burden, spending £4 million daily on temporary accommodations and exceeding their homelessness budget by £330 million in the last fiscal year. The Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, has committed to ending rough sleeping by 2030, announcing an additional £10 million investment to enhance support services. Experts emphasize the urgency of addressing the crisis, which affects over 183,000 residents, including 90,000 children.

The Housing and Mental Health Network highlighted the detrimental mental health impacts of living in temporary accommodation. Local councils are advocating for increased government funding to address both immediate and long-term housing needs effectively. A government spokesperson reiterated their commitment to resolving the housing crisis by investing in homelessness services and increasing housing supply.