A single homeless death in Arun in past five years

File photo dated 16/01/20 of homeless people sleeping in London. Black people who experience discrimination, harassment or abuse because of their race have a significantly greater risk of homelessness, research has suggested. Race, ethnicity and discrimination-related factors affect homelessness risks directly, as well as indirectly through increased levels of poverty or a higher likelihood of renting rather than home ownership, researchers believe. Issue date: Monday November 21, 2022.

One homeless person has died in Arun over the past five years, new figures show.

One homeless person has died in Arun over the past five years, new figures show.

They come as Shelter called the situation across England and Wales “utterly awful and unacceptable”.

Every year, the Office for National Statistics collates deaths of homeless people under the age of 75, their location, ages, and cause of death.

The latest estimates from the ONS suggest there was one deaths in Arun between 2017 and 2021.

There were no deaths in the area last year, with the last death of a homeless person occurring in 2018.

Despite this, across the two countries, the ONS estimates 741 homeless people died in 2021, up 8% from 688 the year before, but down from a peak of 788 in 2019.

The total number of deaths includes people who were identified from death records held by the ONS, together with an estimate of the most likely number of additional registrations not identified as homeless people.

Polly Neate, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said they are looking at "one of the toughest winters yet" as rents rise while housing benefits stay frozen.

“The Government promised to end rough sleeping, but things are getting worse not better.

"They must immediately unfreeze and increase housing benefit to protect people from the ravages of homelessness this winter, and to keep people off the streets for good it has to invest in building good quality, supported social homes.”