For the first time this winter, the Mayor of London is opening emergency cold weather shelters across the capital as temperatures are set to hit zero or below in several London boroughs.
The Mayor, London councils, service providers and faith and community groups work together to open severe weather shelters across London when freezing temperatures are forecast anywhere in the capital. Previously, shelters were opened on a borough-by-borough basis, leading to patchy, inconsistent provision.
Between 1 July and 30 September 2019, the Mayor’s rough sleeping services worked with 1,543 people – up from 1,179 during the same period last year.
This work is complemented by the compassion of Londoners who have donated to the Mayor’s charity appeal and referred people they have seen sleeping rough to outreach services through the StreetLink website or app.