The number of deaths among homeless people in the UK reached a record high in 2024, with 1,611 fatalities recorded, marking a 9% increase compared to the previous year. According to data compiled by the Museum of Homelessness, these deaths predominantly resulted from suicide and drug-related causes, with the rise of substances such as spice and nitazines being especially lethal. Matthew Turtle, the museum's director, described the figures as a sharp indicator of how homeless individuals continue to be profoundly failed by the system. The data draws from coroners' courts, media reports, family testimonies, and Freedom of Information requests, demonstrating a comprehensive, though unofficial, assessment since the government ceased publishing official statistics on homeless deaths in 2022.

Among those who died was Anthony Marks, aged 51, who suffered a fatal seizure weeks after being assaulted while sheltering in a bin shed near King's Cross station in London. Four individuals have been charged in connection with his death, underscoring the vulnerability and dangers faced by homeless people on the streets. The troubling figures illuminate the systemic failings in housing and support services, with experts linking homelessness closely to health factors including trauma, depression, and anxiety, compounded by rising poverty. Tim Renshaw, chief executive of the Sheffield-based charity Archer Project, highlighted the dire state of housing availability for the poorest and its correlation with health crises among the homeless population.

The breakdown of the deaths shows that three-quarters were men, with two-thirds occurring among those in temporary or supported accommodation, and 169 individuals rough sleeping at the time of death. Among the deceased were 11 children, though the Ministry of Housing acknowledges this number likely underrepresents the true scale. Geographically, England accounted for the majority with 1,142 deaths, reflecting a 16% rise from 2023. London had the highest overall numbers, but Nottingham and Exeter saw the steepest increases, with deaths doubling and more than doubling respectively. Northern Ireland similarly experienced a sharp rise of over 33%, while Wales saw a slight decrease and Scotland reported an 18% decline, with major cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh recording around 40% fewer deaths.

These stark figures emerge amid record levels of temporary accommodation use and a 20% rise in rough sleeping in England during 2024, reflecting the worsening housing crisis. The Museum of Homelessness emphasises that its statistics are based on concrete data without estimations, positioning it as the sole reliable source since official government data publication stopped.

Despite Labour's commitment to building 180,000 social rent homes over the next decade, experts working directly with homeless communities express frustration at a perceived lack of immediate, consistent multi-year funding and leadership to tackle the crisis effectively. The resignations of key figures such as Angela Rayner and Rushanara Ali in 2025 have been interpreted by some as leaving a leadership vacuum amid what is described as the worst homelessness crisis in the UK's history. Matthew Turtle has called for urgent, systemic policy reforms to address the root causes.

Homelessness Minister Alison McGovern responded to the new data by calling the figures "heartbreaking" and reaffirming the government’s commitment to expanding safe accommodation access alongside strengthening support services. She stressed that every life lost, particularly that of a child, is an "abject failure that cannot be tolerated," signalling a resolve to intensify efforts against homelessness.

The crisis of homeless deaths has been unfolding over several years, with prior data showing a significant upward trend. In 2023, the Museum of Homelessness reported 1,474 deaths, a 12% rise from 2022, and a particularly sharp increase in rough sleeper fatalities, which jumped by 42% within a year. Earlier reports from 2022 indicated that more than 1,300 people died while homeless, a figure that had surged by 85% since 2019, illustrating the persistent escalation of this deadly social emergency.

The cumulative evidence calls for urgent, coordinated action to not only provide immediate housing relief but to address the underlying causes of homelessness, including economic hardship, mental health challenges, and substance misuse, to prevent further tragic loss of life across the UK.

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Source: Noah Wire Services