This is how many homeless deaths there have been in Dacorum in eight years

Shelter has called on the Government to step in and ensure nobody is left out in the cold to face the "ravages of homelessness" this winter
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Fewer than five homeless people died in Dacorum over eight years – but one such death is 'one too many' and more must be done to help those without homes, experts say.

A nationwide effort to get people off the streets during the coronavirus pandemic contributed to a national drop in homeless deaths registered during 2020 – but nearly 700 people across England and Wales died without a home to call their own.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In light of the sobering statistics, housing charity Shelter called on the Government to step in and ensure nobody is left out in the cold to face the "ravages of homelessness" this winter.

The image has been used for illustrative purposesThe image has been used for illustrative purposes
The image has been used for illustrative purposes

Estimates from the Office for National Statistics suggest one homeless death was registered in Dacorum last year, while four people have died since records began in 2013.

The figures, which mainly include those sleeping rough or using emergency accommodation, are based on registered deaths plus an estimate of how many people died without being correctly identified as homeless.

Homelessness charity DENS houses, supports and empowers vulnerable single homeless people, and others in crisis, to transform their lives.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The charity recently launched its winter appeal to help the homeless in Dacorum.

Read More
DENS launches winter appeal to help the homeless in Dacorum

"We continue to identify, engage and support rough sleepers and homeless people, and provide focused support for those who are most vulnerable and at risk of becoming homeless in the borough.

"This collaborative work has meant there have been few deaths of homeless people in Dacorum.

"However, even one death is too many, and particularly as we enter the winter period, we will continue to work with DBC and our partner organisations to ensure that those who need help and support can access emergency accommodation.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"As well as this, we will provide the long-term support needed, as poorer health outcomes and its effects often remain with people even after they are housed.”

Dacorum Borough council works with DENS to prevent and tackle homelessness in Dacorum.

A council spokesperson said: "Dacorum Borough Council works in partnership with DENS along with other statutory/voluntary sector agencies to prevent and tackle homelessness in Dacorum.

"DENS plays an invaluable role in helping the most vulnerable in our community.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"We recently launched a ‘tap to donate’ scheme in Hemel Hempstead town centre, in partnership with Hemel Hempstead Business Improvement District (BID) to enable shoppers to support local homelessness charities, including DENS.

"The council undertakes regular walkabout and outreach activity, with its commissioned services Dacorum Outreach, DENS and members of the Community Safety Partnership – this ensures targeted support and intervention is provided to any person who may be at risk of rough sleeping."

And separate figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government show 840 households were identified as being homeless, or at risk of homelessness, during the first year of the pandemic.

Responding to the national figures, Polly Neate, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said: "To think people's final days were spent homeless in the pandemic is a sobering thought.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"If it wasn’t for the Government’s Covid response to help people off the streets even more lives would have been lost.

“As we head into another hard winter with the virus still circulating, we cannot leave anyone out in the cold."

Though the figure includes some deaths that happened during the previous year but were not registered until 2020 due to pandemic-inspired disruption to services, the true scale of homeless deaths could be higher than reported.

The ONS said the Government's Everyone In scheme led to homeless people being placed in accommodation such as hotels, making it more difficult to identify them in mortality records,

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

However, together with temporary bans on eviction, the scheme is thought to have contributed to a decrease in the homeless population nationally.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said the Everyone In scheme had helped 37,000 vulnerable people and that the Government is providing more than £2 billion over the next three years to tackle homelessness.

She added: “Every death on our streets is one too many, which is why we remain committed to ending rough sleeping altogether.“