NEARLY 150 people were classed as ‘sleeping rough’ in Dorset over the past year, new data has revealed. 

Dorset Council has logged 435 counts of rough sleeping in the region since 2021.

The figures were obtained by Advice.co.uk, a free advice and support service for people who have run into problems with their housing, which may have led to them suffering an injury. 

In 2021/22, the number of homeless people sleeping rough, counted by the local authority, stood at 137.

A year later, this number increased to 149, which is the joint-highest number of rough sleepers over the three-year period.

The past year has seen the number of rough sleepers in Dorset stay the same.

Due to the rising cost of rent as well as the cost of living crisis pushing more people to seek help, councils are struggling to find and fund temporary accommodation.

Riverside, a charity providing hostel accommodation, said there had been no significant investment in hostels in England since 2011, and the number of bed spaces in England had fallen by almost a quarter between 2010 and 2022.

Speaking to the Big Issue, John Glenton, the executive director of Riverside, said: “Increased investment in supported housing would provide more spaces to help get more people out of temporary accommodation into a dedicated space where they can receive the support they need. 

“These services provide a route out of homelessness and help to reduce spending on very expensive, and often inadequate, temporary housing.”