Emergency accommodation will be set up for London’s rough sleepers as temperatures plummet on Wednesday night.
Councils throughout the capital have been required to work with homelessness charities to set up extra shelters for those who would otherwise be left to sleep in the cold.
This is because London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, has activated the Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) – used when sleeping out in the open could pose a threat to life.
All boroughs are committed to Mr Khan’s "In for Good" programme, meaning people are not asked to leave before a support plan is put in place to help them off the streets permanently.
SWEP was active for 18 nights last winter and ended up helping 1,350 people escape rough sleeping. This is the first SWEP activation this year.
Mr Khan has said the capital needs more help from central government to fight homelessness: “For many Londoners struggling to pay soaring rents and a cost-of-living-crisis, this winter will feel longer and colder than ever.
“We know that these factors are forcing more people on to the streets; it is imperative that ministers stop turning a blind eye to this crisis and start taking action to ensure people can afford to stay in their homes.
“Since 2016, we've quadrupled funding and support to tackle homelessness, helping over 16,000 rough sleepers off the streets, but there's much more to do.”
It comes following a record-high number of people recorded rough sleeping in the capital, as more than 4,000 people were counted on the streets by outreach teams between July and September.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities announced on Tuesday that it has so far allocated £52m to Greater London from a £200m national programme aimed at tackling the problem.
Under the Single Homelessness Accommodation Programme, funding has so far been allocated for some 1,230 homes across England, 347 of which are expected to be built in London.
The programme is specifically intended to provide housing for homeless adults with no dependent children.
London’s deputy mayor for housing Tom Copley said: “No-one should have to sleep rough on our streets and the mayor is doing everything in his power to ensure that everyone in this position gets the support they need.”
