A Kingston charity's CEO has warned figures released this week highlighting London's acute homelessness crisis does not necessarily include individuals who are suffering from 'hidden homelessness'.

Housing charity Shelter revealed on Wednesday that one in 58 Londoners were homeless in 2022, almost three times higher than that of England as a whole, which stood at 208.

The figures were reached using Government statistics, Freedom of information requests and data from membership charity Homeless Link.

However, Georgie Forshaw, Kingston Churches Action on Homelessness' (KCAH) CEO, has warned the crisis in London could be far more concerning when considering those who are less likely to be identified.

The KCAH CEO said: "The report doesn't necessarily recognise what we refer to as hidden homelessness, so people who are sofa surfing, women in refuge, you know, they can't necessarily be identified. That's probably an addendum statistic.

"So, I think it's really important that you look at the whole picture. Certainly, us as a service, street homelessness is as important as a sofa surfer. Neither one of them have the sanctuary or the safety of what lies ahead."

London's borough's councils have described the figures released by charity Shelter as 'devastating'.

The local authorities are calling on the Government to make urgent changes to national policy, warning the issue will "get even worse" amid the cost-of-living crisis, while Shelter says it is bracing for a "sharp rise" in homelessness in 2023.

Cllr Darren Rodwell, London Councils' Executive Member for Regeneration, Housing & Planning, added: "These devastating figures reveal that London remains the epicentre of the homelessness crisis.

"Everyone deserves a permanent home, but the chronic shortage of affordable housing in the capital means too many Londoners find themselves homeless and reliant on temporary accommodation arranged by their local council. The numbers are so high they are equivalent to the entire population of a London borough.

"We're concerned that cost-of-living pressures mean this desperate situation will get even worse before it gets better. Councils across the capital are seeing more and more residents turning to us for help.

Mr Rodwell continued: "We urgently need renewed action on tackling homelessness, especially through making better use of the welfare system to help low-income households with their housing costs and through investing in the new affordable homes our communities are crying out for."

Like many other London boroughs, Kingston is in dire need of more affordable homes, as many local people currently cannot afford to rent or buy in the borough. There are around 3,500 households on the housing waiting list and over 900 households living in temporary accommodation.

Kingston Council did however announce in December last year that they had secured 2.8m of government funding to tackle the homelessness crisis within the borough and that the three-year funding, allocated by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, is set to see the focus on early intervention for those sleeping rough and strengthening links with partners to put in place fast, effective help when needed. 

Cllr Emily Davey, Portfolio Holder for Housing at Kingston Council, said at the time: "With the escalating cost of living crisis, freezing temperatures and increasing demands for support, protecting those most in need is our top priority. Our ambitious homelessness and rough sleeping strategy, alongside this much-needed funding, has the potential to change lives. 

"We're also building the homes that our borough needs, with the regeneration of Cambridge Road Estate starting on site and delivering over 2,100 homes, of which 941 will be affordable. 

"Our goal is to prevent homelessness and aim to end rough sleeping by 2024. By working together with partners and with the right funding, we stand the best chance of doing just that."

KCAH works to support people out of homelessness and helping those who are at risk of becoming homeless.

To achieve this the award-winning charity offers an in-person, drop-in advice service which is open on weekdays from 10am – 1pm. To learn more on the charity's full set of services and ways in which you can help support KCAH, visit their website here.

If you are concerned about someone sleeping rough, please call StreetLink on 0300 500 0914 or you can register and send them an alert on their website