Rough sleeper charity tells Leeds supporters that need for services is growing

Simon on the Streets general manager Gordon Laing gave the warning as he addressed people taking part in its #sleepwithsimon sleep out in the city.

“Homelessness hasn’t got any better,” he said. “Charities such as ourselves, our usefulness and the need for us is only going to get more important.”

The government will soon release its latest national statistics on homelessness, but Mr Laing said charities working in the field expected them to be lower than their own figures.

“We go off the different charities that work with these people,” he said. “We believe the Crisis stats are far more accurate than those put out by the government.”

Crisis believes there are currently 250,000 homeless people across the UK, from rough sleepers and sofa surfers to families living in shelters and women’s refuges.

It estimated that there were 4,000 people regularly sleeping rough nationally in 2016.

“We believe it can be combatted,” Mr Laing said. “We can help fight it but really it needs action at governmental level. It’s not just about building houses – they need a lot of help.

“Money has to be invested properly in mental health and rehabilitation services.

“As a service we support people unconditionally and sometimes we will support people for years.

“We need your support. We don’t just need it tonight, we need it throughout the year.”

Click here to find out more about the charity’s work and how you can support it.