London’s status as one of the world’s wealthiest capitals stands in stark contrast to the tent encampments that have emerged across its centre, a visible reminder of the capital’s spiralling homeless crisis.
Opposite Warren Street Station in Camden, around 20 tents are currently pitched, many elevated on wooden pallets to stay dry. Inside, some contain only sleeping bags and a few items of clothing, while others are more elaborate, featuring furniture, mattresses, and cooking equipment.
Further sites have been identified near the south-east corner of Hyde Park and in the shadow of the Adelphi Building on the Strand.
Migrants from Romania and Bulgaria, alongside British nationals, are among those living in the makeshift shelters, which have become a visible feature of central London’s streets in recent years.
Last Saturday, a 32-year-old Romanian man living at the site on Euston Road reportedly died after suffering a heart attack. According to another dweller, he had only recently moved there.
A small tribute has since been set up on a tree, along with flowers and candles. Emergency services are yet to confirm the death.
The plight of rough sleepers in London is made considerably worse as the capital plunges into winter with the freezing weather posing a threat to life.
On Wednesday, Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan activated the capital’s severe weather emergency protocol (SWEP), which will see rough sleepers provided with emergency accommodation.
It means boroughs across the capital, alongside homelessness charities, will open additional emergency accommodation for people sleeping rough in conditions deemed to be risk to life.
At the Euston Road camp, Stefan, originally from Ukraine, was sitting on a bench with a cane when he was approached by The Standard. His small blue tent was pitched just behind him.
He said he had been at the camp for seven months.
Stefan moved to the UK 25 years ago and worked in construction until 2022, when an injury left him unable to work and subsequently homeless.
When asked about his situation, he said: “When it’s warm and there’s no rain, I’m okay,” he said, “but now it’s cold [...] my infection is coming back. I’m waiting for an operation on my knees.”
“I can’t walk, I can’t support myself at all.”
He told The Standard that his doctor has said his operation will take place next year.
He said charity workers come twice a week, but on other days, it is just “lucky” if anyone stops by to hand out sandwiches, drinks, or spare change.
“All day I’m sitting here and waiting here, and now it’s cold, I’m constantly inside all the time,” he said.
He was visibly angry and frustrated by the lack of support.
“How long will I have to wait? It’s promise after promise. I’m trying to push things for myself, but no one is interested.”
Stefan said the row of tents was expanding and added that he wouldn’t be surprised if it reached all the way down to Euston Square station within the next few weeks.
Another tent-dweller, who goes by Kevin, has been at the site since May and said it had definitely grown. He said most of the people there are Romanian or Bulgarian.
Kevin, who is British, told The Standard that he mostly keeps to himself, but does speak to an elderly Romanian couple living at the end of the row.
He said officers from Camden Outreach, the council’s designated homelessness team, visit the site but show little “interest” in him, as he’s not “dependent on substances.”
“I’m not a risk,” he said. “I don’t cause any trouble or make a noise,” he added.
Kevin has relied on the kindness of a receptionist at the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, located just behind where he sleeps. He said she was the one who bought him the tent he was sitting in.
As The Standard spoke to Kevin, Community Safety Enforcement Officers (CSEOs) from Camden Council arrived to clear a tent left behind by a homeless individual who had since moved on.
A Camden Council spokesperson said: “This is not a situation that can continue - we are concerned for the welfare of people rough sleeping here and we take residents’ concerns very seriously.
“Our urgent focus is on working with partners, including the landowners, to prioritise helping people rough sleeping here rebuild their lives away from the streets. This means finding suitable accommodation and providing the range of support they need, while making sure the area is safe, secure, and maintained for everyone.”
According to recent figures, 4,667 people were recorded sleeping rough in England on a single night last autumn—a 20% increase on 2023. Nearly half of them (45%) were in London and the South East.
Homelessness, in all its forms, is spiralling, driven by rising rents, a severe lack of affordable and social housing, job insecurity, and overstretched public services.
More people are being pushed into destitution—and staying there—for longer.
The delays in resolving their housing situations can be devastating; as people wait, their needs often become more complex, increasing the risk of them ending up sleeping rough.
Westminster City Council has been managing small numbers of encampments since Covid, The Standard understands.
While the overall number of camps does not appear to be increasing, it remains consistent, with new rough sleepers arriving on the streets each day.
The council said the issue is part of a wider national problem, with Westminster on the frontline due to its four major railway stations, which naturally draw people arriving in London to set up temporary homes.
More people are recorded sleeping rough in Westminster than any other borough - 2,612. This is more than double the number in Camden (975), the next highest borough.
Since 2023/24 the majority of boroughs saw an increase in people seen sleeping rough. Hillingdon had the biggest increase, from 296 people seen sleeping rough in 2023/24, to 492 in 2024/25 — an increase of 66%.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “The Mayor has made clear that no one should have to sleep rough on our streets. Under his leadership, more than 18,000 people have been helped off the streets, but there's much more to do.
“That's why Sadiq has launched a bold new Plan of Action to end rough sleeping for good by 2030 and has provided record funding from City Hall. This includes the single biggest investment of £10 million – more than any London Mayor.
“The Mayor is delivering new Ending Homelessness Hubs and expanding his Homes off the Streets programme, alongside establishing a prevention phoneline and funding more support workers in our communities. Sadiq will continue to work closely with the Government, London councils and the homelessness sector to tackle this crisis as we continue building a fairer London for everyone.”
A Westminster Council spokesperson said: “In Westminster we have more people experiencing rough sleeping than any other part of the country – as the heart of the capital, new people appear on our streets every day.
“Our teams are out on the streets seven days a week to offer help to those who will take it. People end up on the streets for complex reasons, but staying there isn't an option.
“The council is in the process of gaining the necessary court order to clear the encampment at Adelphi Terrace, which is not a safe place to live and is disruptive to local people.
“We will continue to offer people support they need whether this is with housing, addiction, mental health problems to help them move away from homelessness".
