THE government must act to save rough sleepers facing the double threat of Covid-19 and the cold this winter, a coalition of doctors and charities warns today.

A group of 17 health and homelessness organisations including Crisis, St Mungo’s and several royal colleges has called on ministers urgently to provide socially distanced emergency housing over the winter months. 

The group fears that without more funding for councils, hundreds or even thousands of rough sleepers could end up in crowded community shelters and dorms. 

These could prove to be more deadly than safe, with the group warning that social distancing and proper safety measures in such shelters are likely to be “all but impossible.”

The coalition called on the government to repeat its Everyone In scheme, which moved thousands of rough sleepers into hotels during the pandemic before ministers pulled the plug on funding in May.

Crisis chief executive Jon Sparkes said: “Without government action, the reality of what could happen this winter is terrifying.

“We cannot have hundreds, or even thousands, of people forced to live in crowded places, where proper social distancing is impossible and the risk of coronavirus transmission is incredibly high.”

A study by University College London (UCL), published in the Lancet last week, estimated that hundreds of lives were saved by the Everyone In scheme.

But it warned that even if transmission in the wider community is low, a return of crowded community shelters could lead to 184 deaths in the homeless population as well as 12,000 new infections and 733 hospital admissions.

Mr Sparkes said that the predictions must act as a “wake-up call” to the government. 

Professor Andrew Goddard, president of the Royal College of Physicians, said that the “life-saving” measures taken to house rough sleepers during the pandemic “need to happen again.”

“Without urgent action from the government to keep homeless people off the streets this winter, lives will most certainly be lost,” he said. 

Although ministers promised to house all rough sleepers at the onset of the outbreak, hundreds of people — particularly in the capital — were left on the streets. 

Between April and June, at the height of the pandemic, there were 4,227 people sleeping rough in London, according to the Greater London Authority. 

Of those, 2,680 (63 per cent) were first-time rough sleepers — an increase of 77 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Campaigners fear that the number of rough sleepers could continue to rise as the furlough scheme ends at the end of this month and with tenants no longer protected by the evictions ban. 

Before the temporary ban ended on September 20, homeless charity Shelter predicted that 230,000 private renters were at risk of eviction.

And thousands could be driven to the streets this week as the Home Office begins to evict refugees refused asylum from emergency accommodation.

In an open letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel yesterday, refugee-rights groups demanded an immediate halt to the plans.

The letter, signed by three elected mayors including Greater Manchester’s Andy Burnham, warns: “People who have sought sanctuary in our towns and cities and others with no recourse to public funds are all at risk of street homelessness and destitution.”

In a statement, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said that the government had given £4.8 billion of emergency funding to councils to cope with the pandemic, including support for rough sleepers.

“Working with councils, charities and other partners we will protect vulnerable rough sleepers this winter and fund longer-term accommodation and tailored support to end rough sleeping for good.”