The Big Issue founder Lord Bird has warned that England could face the worst winter homelessness crisis in over two decades, with radical action needed to stop the situation getting worse.
Lord Bird said: “It could be the worst winter for over two decades ... The fact money is going down and not upis likely to make future winters even harder and next year threatens to be even worse.”
It comes as data from the Office of National Statistics shows the number of people sleeping rough in England shot up by 134% between 2010 and 2017. The rise in households living in temporary accommodation also went up by 60% over that period.
Share your experiences
With winter approaching, we want to document the problems of homelessness during the coldest time of year. As well as hearing from those who are sleeping rough on the streets, we want to capture “hidden” homelessness and the experience of living in insecure temporary accommodation.
We’re keen to hear from those living in cities and rural areas. You may be sofa surfing, living in a caravan or a tent or even hot bedding.
We also want to hear from those who work with homeless people about your concerns and any measures you are putting in place now. Share your experiences with us, anonymously if you wish.
You can share your experiences using our encrypted form below. And we’ll use a selection in our reporting. You can also message the Guardian on WhatsApp by adding the contact +44(0)7867825056.
Your stories will help our journalists have a more complete picture of these events and we will use them in our reporting.
