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Rough sleeping

Find out what to do if you are worried about someone sleeping rough.

A rough sleeper is someone who is living on the street and has nowhere to stay.

Rough sleepers may sleep in tents, doorways, alleyways or subways, amongst other places.

If you are rough sleeping contact us today

What to do if you see someone sleeping rough:

You can tell us using StreetLink.

Please give us as much information as you can including:

  • their location
  • buildings nearby
  • clothes they are wearing
Tell us about a rough sleeper

You can also download the StreetLink app on app Android or Apple.

Why should you let us know

Stopping rough sleeping is important to keep people safe and healthy. Cold, rain, and bad weather can cause serious health problems like hypothermia and frostbite.

By giving everyone a safe, warm place to stay, we can save lives and build a kinder community. Helping people now can also connect them with long-term housing and services, ending homelessness.

What happens next

Our rough sleeping team provide an important outreach support to rough sleepers.

StreetLink will tell us when you have made a report, and we will investigate as soon as we can. We work with a wide range of local services and volunteers to help the rough sleeper.

Severe weather

We must all do everything we can to prevent deaths caused by winter weather.

Every winter we offer temporary accommodation to rough sleepers during very cold weather. This happens when the temperature is less than zero degrees for three days in a row.

People on the streets who aren’t rough sleeping

Some people who look like they are sleeping rough might not be. They might be drinking or begging but have a place to live.

They need different help from us and other services, so you might not see a change right away.

This doesn't mean contacting StreetLink is a waste of time. It's always better to tell us about someone you think is sleeping rough so we can help if needed.