Homelessness deaths almost double in a year

By Gbam Godwin On Oct 13, 2025

Homelessness deaths almost double in a year.

The number of persons who died while homeless in a county has nearly doubled in a year, according to new data.

The Museum of Homelessness found that nine persons died in Norfolk last year, compared to five in 2023, with an average age of 43.

Nationally, the tally has risen to 1,611, including 11 children, representing a 9% increase, while the East of England saw 96 deaths, a 41% increase.

Campaigners have labelled the deaths as “unforgivable” and urged the government and local authorities to do more to combat the rising flood of homelessness.

Dr Jan Sheldon, chief executive of Norwich homelessness charity St Martins Trust, stated that the cost-of-living issue, government failures, and job losses were among the reasons why more people were sleeping rough and dying.

“The rise in the number of deaths on the streets is a failure of successive governments not to adequately address the root,” she claimed.

“In Norwich, there has been a rise in the number of persons sleeping rough. This is reproduced throughout Norfolk. “It’s unforgivable – people should not be dying on our streets in 2025.”

Contributed Marie Cattermole is a woman with brunette hair who is standing outside and leaning against a barrier. She is looking at the camera and smiling and is wearing a brown, orange and white patterned dress.

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According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, deaths in Norfolk in 2024 happened in Norwich, Great Yarmouth, West Norfolk, South Norfolk, and North Norfolk.

Three people were reported to have died while sleeping rough on the streets, while the remaining deaths happened while in temporary housing. Of the 96 deaths in the region in 2024, up from 68 in 2023, 34% were due to physical health issues, 44% were drug or alcohol-related, and 11% were suicides.

“If the root causes of homelessness are not addressed at central government level quickly we can only expect the number of deaths on our streets to increase,” says Dr. Sheldon.

‘Deeply troubling’

In recent years, several homeless persons have died around the region, notably Marie Cattermole, 32, who was discovered comatose in Norwich in 2022. Malcolm Livingstone, a military veteran and pallbearer for Princess Diana, was also discovered dead outside a church in King’s Lynn.

And in Great Yarmouth, Nigel Mazs, 59, was died after being kicked in the head during a disagreement with another person. The Museum of Homelessness, a charity in north London, has described its newest findings as “deeply troubling”.

The association attributes the increase to a “failure to build genuinely affordable housing, to invest in accessible community-based mental health services and to act on clear evidence around overdose prevention” .

Matthew Richards/BBC A head and shoulders image of MP Alison McGovern. She is wearing a black blazer over a white top. She is smiling and looking into the camera. — MP Alison McGovern, who is the government’s homelessness minister, said work was being undertaken to tackle the crisis

Homelessness Minister Alison McGovern stated that fatalities should be viewed as a “abject failure that cannot be tolerated” or considered as normal.

“These figures are heartbreaking,” she explained. “Every loss of life, particularly the death of a child, is an appalling failure that must be condemned.

“Every person deserves a safe place to call home, which is why we are accelerating efforts to tackle the root causes of homelessness, expanding access to safe accommodation whilst also strengthening support services.”