THE number of people sleeping rough across Hampshire last year has risen according to recently released figures.

Published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, the figures are a snapshot of rough sleeping on a single night between October 1 and November 30, 2022.

The number of people sleeping rough in the Basingstoke and Deane area has stayed the same, according to the statistics, with two people reported both last year and in 2021. Test Valley also saw no changes to the number of homeless people in the area, with statistics showing three people rough sleeping in both 2021 and 2022.

Meanwhile, Winchester saw an increase in its rough sleeping population, with four rough sleepers recorded in 2022 compared to three in 2021. Southampton also saw an increase, with 27 rough sleepers recorded in 2022, and 18 person increase on the nine counted in 2021.

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Eastleigh saw a drop in the number of homeless people in 2022, with zero people counted. The previous count showed three people sleeping rough in the town.

Reacting to the statistics, Cllr David Renard, housing spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: “Councils work incredibly hard to prevent the tragedy of homelessness from happening, as well as supporting those who find themselves affected and are very concerned at today’s statistics, which are from before the worst of the cost-of-living crisis hit families.

“With evictions in the private rented sector continuing to rise, it is crucial that government urgently implements renters reform legislation to put a stop to ‘no fault’ evictions, and it is imperative that Local Housing Allowance rates are reviewed to ensure that at least a third of the market is affordable for people claiming housing-related benefits.

“The building of affordable homes must also be prioritised, and councils should be given the powers and resources to build 100,000 social homes a year to address the national shortage of affordable housing.

“If the Government doesn’t urgently develop a cross-departmental homelessness prevention strategy in response, we can expect to see these numbers continue to rise.”

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Other areas in Hampshire which saw an increase in the number of rough sleepers include Havant (four rough sleepers in 2022 compared to three in 2021) and Rushmoor (five in 2022, and three in 2021). Fareham also saw an increase of one person in 2022, bringing the number of rough sleepers in the area to eight.

Decreases were seen in Portsmouth (16 rough sleepers recorded in 2022, 24 recorded in 2021), The New Forest (four recorded rough sleepers in 2022, six rough sleepers in 2021), and Hart (which had 1 recorded rough sleeper in 2021 and no rough sleepers in 2022).

Meanwhile, the number of rough sleepers in Gosport stayed the same, with three rough sleepers recorded in both 2021 and 2022.