Homeless deaths rise driven by ‘drug poisoning’

Homeless man — Image caption Deaths of homeless people have risen by a fifth in a year, the ONS has said.

Drug poisoning has contributed to the biggest rise in deaths of homeless people in England and Wales since records began.

About 726 homeless people died in 2018, a rise of 22% in one year, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Deaths from drugs have more than doubled in the six years the ONS has been recording the data.

A government spokesman said it was investing £1.2bn to “tackle all forms of homelessness”.

Ben Humberstone from the ONS said the rise was mainly due to an increase in “drug poisoning”.

Two in five of the deaths were attributed to this, an increase of 55% on 2017, compared to just 16% of deaths among the population as a whole.

Of the 294 estimated deaths from drug poisoning in 2018, the substance detected the most was heroin or morphine, which was identified in 99 cases. This was followed by alcohol, which appeared in 75 cases.

The number of deaths where heroin or morphine was detected in 2018 was more than double the number recorded in 2013, while cases where cocaine was identified tripled over the same period.

The government said it had brought forward “new training” this year for frontline staff in the dangerous effects of new psychoactive substances, such as spice, to help “engage with and support rough sleepers” under the influence.

Homeless deaths in 2018

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

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Jon Sparkes, from the charity Crisis, said it was “heart-breaking” that people were dying homeless.

He added: “It’s crucial that governments urgently expand the safeguarding system used to investigate the deaths of vulnerable adults to include everyone who has died while street homeless so we can help prevent more people from dying needlessly.”

Polly Neate, from the housing charity Shelter, said: “You can’t solve homelessness without homes, so we are calling on all parties to commit to building the social homes we need to form the bedrock of a more humane housing system.”

A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said the figures were a “sombre reminder” there was “still much more to do to tackle homelessness and end rough sleeping for good”.

“Drugs can devastate lives, ruin families and damage communities, which is why we are undertaking a comprehensive review which will help protect the most vulnerable – including homeless individuals – from the harms that drugs cause and give them a chance to recover and turn their lives around,” he said.

“We are also investing £1.2bn to tackle all forms of homelessness and have made the most ambitious change to legislation in a decade,” the spokesman added.