Gloucester ranked as city with highest rate of rough sleeping in England
Gloucester MP Alex McIntyre is concerned the number is rising despite the council more in funding to deal with homelessness.
Gloucester has been ranked as having the highest rough sleeping rate of any city in the whole of England.
Rough sleepers have become a common sight in the city in recent years with tents often spotted in shopping centre car parks, churchyards, green spaces and iconic landmarks like Kings Square.
Now Government data analysed by emergency accommodation service Jigsaw Conferences has revealed the cities where rough sleepers are most at risk, with Gloucester recording the highest rate of any city in England.
They analysed data for 44 cities in England to uncover which are recording the highest rates of people sleeping rough each month per 100,000 people.
And the firm compared data from March 2025 to March 2026, to find the cities with the largest year-on-year changes.
It found that Gloucester has the highest rough sleeping rate with 46.9 per 100,000 people, and this has increased 23 per cent year-on-year.
It’s the only city in the South West with increased rates, with Exeter, Bristol and Plymouth having decreased year-on-year, according to the data.
Gloucester City Council, who are responsible for housing, believe the figures should be taken in context as Gloucester is a relatively small city meaning per-capita calculations can produce disproportionately high rates.
But Gloucester MP Alex McIntyre is concerned the number is rising despite the council receiving some £2.8 million more in funding to deal with homelessness.
He has written to Steve Reed, the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, to ask for an urgent meeting about what more can be done to bring the city’s rough sleeping rate down.
“Anyone who has visited Gloucester city centre in recent years will know that the city is home to an unacceptably high number of people sleeping rough,” he said.
“These figures appear to be increasing, despite the fact that the City Council have received increased funding from the government to deal with homelessness, to the tune of £2.8 million.
“When I took on the challenge of securing a government bailout for the council last year, I discovered that the council had actually underspent their homelessness budget. So while vulnerable people are sleeping rough on our streets, the City Council have let yet more money slip through their fingers.
“I have written to the secretary of state Steve Reed to ask for an urgent meeting about what more we can do to bring the number of people sleeping rough in Gloucester down. But if I secure additional support from the government, I need the city council to actually use it to make a difference to people’s lives in our city.”
City council chiefs say that the figures quoted refer to the total number of individuals identified as sleeping rough at any point during a month.
In Gloucester, 65 people were recorded as sleeping rough during March 2026.
However, the council says many of those individuals were recorded for a single night only before securing accommodation themselves, being supported into accommodation by services, or moving on from the city. Others may be identified sleeping rough for a range of temporary reasons.
The council believes the more meaningful measure is the official single-night snapshot taken at the end of each month.
On March 31 this year, 32 people were recorded as sleeping rough in Gloucester which would equate to 23.2 people per 100,000 population, according to the council.
They say this figure provides a more accurate reflection of the level of rough sleeping on any given night and the impact of ongoing interventions delivered throughout the month.
And they say Gloucester is also a relatively small city with a compact geography and population compared with many other areas meaning that per-capita calculations can produce disproportionately high rates and can sometimes create a misleading picture when comparisons are made with larger authorities covering wider geographic areas and significantly larger populations.
The city also hosts a significant amount of supported accommodation, serving people from across Gloucestershire. As a result, local rough sleeping figures can be influenced by factors that extend beyond the city’s resident population alone.
Liberal Democrat councillor Rebecca Trimnell (Westgate), who is responsible for reducing rough sleeping in Gloucester reduction, said the context behind the figures is incredibly important.
“Looking simply at the number of people who have slept rough at some point during a month does not tell the full story,” she said.
“Many people identified during that period are only rough sleeping for a single night before support is put in place or alternative accommodation is found.
“The single-night snapshot provides a better indication of the number of people sleeping rough at any one time, and it is important that the significant efforts of the council and our partners to help people off the streets are properly recognised.
“We know rough sleeping remains a serious challenge and we are not complacent about the numbers. Every person sleeping rough represents an individual facing extremely difficult circumstances.
“That is why we continue to prioritise outreach, prevention, accommodation and support services to help people move into safe and sustainable housing. Our focus remains firmly on working with partners to reduce rough sleeping and provide the help people need.”