The number of rough sleepers identified for emergency help during the coronavirus pandemic was eight times greater than official estimates, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has found.
Officials working on the Everyone In scheme to find accommodation for those at risk of being left on the street relied on a survey which found that 4,266 people slept rough, the National Audit Office said.
But between the end of March when the scheme was launched and November 2020, auditors said that 33,139 people participated in the scheme.
The figures have been disclosed as homelessness campaigners demand an urgent reboot of the government scheme in England to provide safe shelter for rough sleepers.
A report released on Thursday has also found that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government rough sleeping strategy to house all those on the streets by 2024 has been put on hold as officials dealt with the pandemic.
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