Rise in number of homeless people dying in Peterborough

According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) four homeless people died in 2018, up from three in 2017 and the same number of deaths as the total recorded between 2013 and 2017.

The ONS also recorded an estimated number of deaths which was five in 2018. This is up by one from the previous year but is higher than the total recorded between 2013 and 2016.

According to the official statistics agency, there were an estimated 726 deaths of homeless people in England and Wales in 2018, 129 (22 per cent) more than in 2017 and a 51 per cent rise in the past six years.

Most of the deaths in 2018 were among men (641 estimated deaths, 88 per cent of the total).

The mean age at death was 45 years for men and 43 years for women in 2018, while two in five deaths were related to drug poisoning - a 55 per cent rise since 2017.

A fifth of the estimated 726 deaths were recorded in London.

The statistics mainly include people sleeping rough or using emergency accommodation, such as homeless shelters and direct access hostels, at or around the time of death.

A Peterborough City Council spokesperson said: “Council staff engage daily with rough sleepers and all are offered support to move off the streets. Additionally, we are continuing to work hard with our partners as part of the Safer Off the Streets partnership to get people off our streets and into accommodation.

“To date this partnership has raised over £12,000 and assists many rough sleepers in getting off the streets for good and into employment, training and accommodation.

“The average life expectancy of a rough sleeper is just 47, many decades younger than it should be. This is why we want partnerships such as this are so important.”