Two homeless deaths in Broxtowe in past five years

They come as Shelter called the situation across England and Wales “utterly awful and unacceptable”.

Every year, the Office for National Statistics collates deaths of homeless people under the age of 75, their location, ages, and cause of death.

The latest estimates from the ONS suggest there were two deaths in Broxtowe between 2017 and 2021, both in 2021.

Across the two countries, the ONS estimates 741 homeless people died in 2021, up 8 per cent from 688 the year before, but down from a peak of 788 in 2019.

The number includes people identified from death records held by the ONS, together with an estimate of the most likely number of additional registrations not identified as homeless people.

Polly Neate, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said they are looking at “one of the toughest winters yet”, as rents rise while housing benefits stay frozen.

She said: “The Government promised to end rough sleeping, but things are getting worse not better.

“They must immediately unfreeze and increase housing benefit to protect people from the ravages of homelessness this winter, and to keep people off the streets for good it has to invest in building good quality, supported social homes.”

Separate Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities figures show there were 266 households presenting as homeless in Broxtowe in the year to March.

Across the East Midlands, there have been an estimated 231 deaths of homeless people in the past five years.

The figures mainly cover people who were sleeping rough or using emergency accommodation such as homeless shelters at or around the time of death.

Across England and Wales, males accounted for 87 per cent of deaths registered in 2021 compared with 13 per cent for females, a ratio similar to previous years.

An estimated 259 deaths were related to drug poisoning, accounting for 35 per cent of the total.

Alcohol-specific causes and suicide accounted for 10 per cent, 71 deaths, and 13 per cent, 99, respectively.

A DLUHC spokesman said “good progress has been made” toward tackling rough sleeping, but these figures were a reminder there is still more to be done.