Rough sleeping in London falls 11% under Sadiq Khan’s homelessness strategy

New official figures show rough sleeping in London has fallen by 11% under Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan’s strategy. 

In the latest quarterly data, outreach teams recorded 3,944 people sleeping rough across the capital between January and March 2026. The figures, published through the Combined Homelessness and Information Network (CHAIN) and funded by the Greater London Authority, point to a continued downward trend across all main categories of rough sleeping compared with the same period last year.

The report states: “In total during the period January-March 2026 outreach teams recorded 3,944 individuals sleeping rough in the capital. This is an 11% decrease on the total figure for January – March 2025.”

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The latest data shows 1,762 new rough sleepers were identified in the quarter, down 15% compared with the same period last year. The number of people classed as sleeping “living on the streets” fell by 9% compared with the same period last year to 641. The report also shows this is a 23% drop from the immediately preceding period (October – December 2025). Intermittent rough sleeping decreased by 6% to 1,606.

The majority of those newly identified were supported off the streets quickly. The report shows that 1,332 people, accounting for around 76% of new rough sleepers, spent just one night sleeping rough, reflecting the continued focus on rapid intervention by outreach teams and homelessness services across London.

While CHAIN does not attribute causes for the changes, the reduction comes as Labour’s Mayor of London Sadiq Khan continues to deliver his long-term homelessness strategy. 

Khan’s strategy includes a commitment to end rough sleeping in the capital by 2030. The approach has centred on early intervention and coordination between outreach teams, boroughs, and voluntary sector partners to prevent entrenched rough sleeping across the city.

CHAIN records suggest this is the largest drop in rough sleeping in a year unaffected by Covid since comparable quarterly records began back in 2014. 

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This also represents the largest percentage cut in rough sleeping since 2018 in a year unaffected by the pandemic.

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The latest CHAIN figures will likely be welcomed across City Hall and among homelessness organisations as further evidence of sustained progress, even as pressure on housing and support services remains prevalent. 

The continued reduction suggests that coordinated outreach and prevention-led approaches are having an impact, with fewer people remaining on the streets for extended periods and more being supported into accommodation more quickly.

You can read the full CHAIN report here.

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