STARTLING new figures suggest more people are being driven to the streets by the cost-of-living crisis, with rough sleeping rising by a fifth in London. 

Between April and September, there were 5,712 people sleeping on the capital’s streets — an increase of 21 per cent compared with the same period last year, according to the Combined Homelessness and Information Network.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has called for an immediate rent freeze, as he warned of a “revolving door of people ending up homeless” due to the escalating cost-of-living crisis. 

“This cannot be allowed to continue,” he said. “This new government must act now to prevent the circumstances that lead to people sleeping rough before thousands more are forced to face a winter on the streets.”

The rise in rough sleeping comes despite a record number of people being found shelter, with 13,500 being helped off the street since 2016. 

However, progress is being offset by extraordinary financial pressures, charities have warned. 

Homeless charity Crisis said the rise was being driven largely by first-time rough sleepers, who represent more than half of the 3,628 people on the streets between July and September. 

This represented a bigger jump of 24 per cent compared with the same period in 2021. 

“These figures are frightening, and it is disastrous to see the incredible progress made during the pandemic evaporating before our eyes,” Crisis chief executive Matt Downie said. 

“Our services across the country are seeing rough sleeping and wider homelessness rising fast. This is made worse by the cost-of-living crisis — but let’s be clear that these dire economic times are only adding fuel to a crisis that has been burning away for years.

“The government must take decisive action in the Autumn Statement to invest in housing benefit.”

Charities are calling for the government to lift benefits in line with inflation to alleviate the huge financial burden on struggling families. 

St Mungo’s interim chief executive Rebecca Sycamore, said the charity was seeing “the very real and very harsh reality of this financial crisis.” 

She added: “With more price increases it is very likely many of those currently just scraping by will no longer be able to manage, and could be at real risk of losing their homes and experiencing a very harsh winter. Action is needed now.”