Sadiq Khan launches taskforce to help young people sleeping rough in London

Sadiq Khan today launched a new taskforce to help tackle the “shameful” rise in the number of people sleeping rough on London’s streets.

It came as new figures revealed that 8,096 people slept on the streets of the capital last year for at least one night - a seven per cent increase on the year before.

The Mayor’s “No Nights Sleeping Rough” scheme, building on his predecessor’s No Second Night Out project, will bring together key players to try to prevent rough sleeping.

The taskforce will include Government officials working with the five London boroughs with the highest number of rough sleepers - Westminster, Camden, Lambeth, Tower Hamlets and the City - and leading charities Crisis, St Mungo’s, Thames Reach, and Homeless Link.

The taskforce, which met today for the first time, will be led by deputy mayor for housing James Murray and work with the Metropolitan Police, NHS and Transport for London to tackle specific problems including housing and mental health provision for rough sleepers.