How politicians can prevent more homeless people from dying on the streets
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Graham Bowpitt, Nottingham Trent University
Politicians reacted with shock and sadness to the news that a homeless man was found dead on February 14 at Westminster tube station, by the back entrance to the Houses of Parliament.
It has been reported that the man, who was Portuguese, had been staying in one homeless shelter, but had outstayed the maximum time allowed there. So he was sleeping rough while waiting for another space in a shelter elsewhere.
The graphic, first-hand encounter with the actuality of homelessness has prompted calls from politicians for tough action to tackle rough sleeping. Little has been revealed of the immediate circumstances of this man’s death, but he is not the only homeless person to die on the streets. A study for the homelessness charity Crisis found that 1,731 homeless people died in England between 2001 and 2009.
In 2017, there was a 15% rise in the number of people sleeping rough in the UK – and Westminster was no exception. In autumn 2017, Westmin...
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