Advertisement
Housing

John Bird warns of worst winter for homelessness since mid-1990s

Big Issue founder calls for ‘radical action’ to stop the number of rough sleepers on the streets from growing

After a long period of improvement, rough sleeping has been back on the rise for several years now.

Lord John Bird, The Big Issue’s founder, thinks the growing crisis in street homelessness could reach levels not seen since the mid-nineties.

“It could be the worst winter for over two decades,” he said, citing the fact people’s incomes and funding for various forms of support “are going down and not up.”

“It is likely to make future winters harder, and next year threatens to be even worse,” Bird added.

“I am also talking about the number of really distressed people on the street. I have noticed an increase in young, very distressed women. It’s unbelievable, and there was not as much of that in the early 1990s.”

The cost of austerity is unsustainable

According to the Department for Communities and Local Government’s own count, the number of rough sleepers in England rose 16% last year. The total marked a 134% rise since 2010.

Advertisement
Advertisement

“The cost of austerity is unsustainable,” said Bird in an interview with The Guardian, pointing to the government’s welfare changes and even more “brutal” impact of cuts to council budgets in the spiraling number of people falling through the safety net.

The Big Issue founder has also talked and written about the pressing need to invest in poverty prevention measures.

Rather than continuing to struggle to put sticking plasters over the country’s growing social problems, The Big Issue has championed stronger intervention to prevent poverty from reoccurring.

“We have to do something radical about it,” Bird said. “We have got to stop the situation getting worse. If we can change our thinking about poverty, we can sort it out.”

Advertisement

Become a Big Issue member

3.8 million people in the UK live in extreme poverty. Turn your anger into action - become a Big Issue member and give us the power to take poverty to zero.

Recommended for you

Read All
Cash-strapped council warns it's at breaking point as neighbour places homeless people in its town
homeless peoples' tents in street
Homelessness

Cash-strapped council warns it's at breaking point as neighbour places homeless people in its town

Homeless families occupy council housing offices on Halloween in plea to fix 'houses of horror'
Homeless families at a protest about council housing
Homelessness

Homeless families occupy council housing offices on Halloween in plea to fix 'houses of horror'

'It should incense us all': Rough sleeping in London hits new record high
A rough sleeper's tent
Rough sleeping

'It should incense us all': Rough sleeping in London hits new record high

Autumn budget: Labour's failure to raise housing benefit to keep up with rents is 'deeply worrying'
a person's hands on a calculator
Housing benefits

Autumn budget: Labour's failure to raise housing benefit to keep up with rents is 'deeply worrying'

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue