Advertisement
Share your view on the Big Issue and you could win £100 of John Lewis vouchers
Have Your Say
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

Homeless person

The government has examined dozens of academic studies into homelessness.

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.”

John Bird, founder of The Big Issue

“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

Never miss an issue

Take advantage of our special New Year subscription offer. Subscribe from just £9.99 and never miss an issue.

Recommended for you

View all
MPs and voters agree that there is a housing crisis – but they're split on how to solve it
chancellor Rachel Reeves
Housing crisis

MPs and voters agree that there is a housing crisis – but they're split on how to solve it

Rough sleeping in London won't get better until 2026, says Sadiq Khan
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan
Exclusive

Rough sleeping in London won't get better until 2026, says Sadiq Khan

'It's deeply upsetting': 80 homeless children have died in temporary accommodation in just one year
A child at home
Temporary accommodation

'It's deeply upsetting': 80 homeless children have died in temporary accommodation in just one year

This innovative 'village' under Manchester's railway arches helps tackle homelessness
Homelessness

This innovative 'village' under Manchester's railway arches helps tackle homelessness

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

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know
4.

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know