With rough sleeping in London at record highs, Glass Door Homeless Charity's emergency night shelters prepare to open their doors

Glass Door Homeless Charity’s emergency winter night shelters open next week, on Monday 4th November. The shelters, which will stay open until April, are the largest network of their kind in London, providing a safe place for up to 105 people to sleep each night during the coldest months of the year. 

The continued and growing need for emergency shelter provision is clear, with the latest Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) figures published today showing that outreach teams saw 4780 people sleeping rough between July and September 2024. This is the highest number ever recorded over a three-month period, representing an 18% increase compared to one year earlier. Of these 4780 people, 2343 were sleeping rough from the first time – 12% more than one year before. 

Last winter, Glass Door saw a huge increase in demand for its emergency shelters. There were more than 1,500 applications for shelter spaces – an 80% increase compared to the previous year. The spike was even greater than this figure suggests, as the waiting list for men seeking emergency shelter was closed three times due to the level of demand. We were able to provide night shelters for 542 people in total, 83% of whom were previously sleeping rough. 

Matthew Falk, Director of Services at Glass Door Homeless Charity, said: 

“Night shelters should not be necessary, but the undeniable fact is that they are desperately needed. When Glass Door opens its emergency shelters, hundreds of people from across London will be referred to us in the first few days. There are far too many people that the system has failed who, without services like ours, would have no choice but to sleep on the streets of London in the freezing cold. Glass Door’s emergency shelters are the first step, offering individuals stability, while our caseworkers support people into sustainable housing.” 

Jo Carter, CEO of Glass Door Homeless Charity, said: 

“These latest, appalling numbers do not come out of nowhere. We have been raising the alarm for years, warning that spiralling rents, a lack of social housing and a flawed benefits system are driving huge numbers of people into homelessness. The only question I am left with is this: how much worse do things have to get before decisive action is taken?

There have been some positive steps in recent months, from the Renters’ Rights Bill currently in Parliament to the Affordable Homes Programme boost in yesterday’s budget. But far more than this is needed.

Immediately, the government should peg Local Housing Allowance rates to at least the 30th percentile of rents in a given area, abolish the Shared Accommodation Rate (which pushes young people into homelessness) and scrap the benefit cap. To make the greatest impact over the longer term, more investment in expanding the social housing supply is absolutely vital. We will continue to advocate for policies like these at the same time as providing shelter and support to those facing homelessness right now.”