Why are so many people sleeping rough in Britain?

New figures show a slight decline in people sleeping rough in England. But since 2010 the trend has been upwards. Why? And what can be done about it?David Aaronovitch talks to guests about the drivers that lead people to sleep rough, and how the UK is dealing with the problem now. GUESTSRisha Lancaster - Co-Founder of Coffee4Craig in Manchester and a volunteer at a night shelter Michael Buchanan - BBC Social Affairs Correspondent Louise Casey - Head of the government's Rough Sleepers Unit from 1999 - 2003 Nicholas Pleace - Director of Centre for Housing Policy at the University of York Jon Sparks - CEO of homeless charity, Crisis

Om Podcasten

Step inside The Briefing Room for indepth explainers on the biggest news stories. A podcast and radio show hosted by Journalist and Author David Aaronovitch.Listen anytime: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b07cblx9. **THE BRIEFING ROOM**Alongside a panel of academics, policy experts and journalists, each week we break down the essentials of the biggest news stories, in the United Kingdom and beyond. From international politics, healthcare, and technology; to the economy, education, and immigration. At the end of 2024 The Briefing Room covered the following topics: - What’s going on in Syria? www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0025l2l - Will new weight loss drugs bankrupt the NHS? www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0025vw7 - Is the push for the electric cars in trouble? www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002693mOur promise to you each week: If you step inside The Briefing Room, you'll be fully briefed on the biggest stories in the news.**SPECIAL EPISODES**As well as our weekly episodes, The Briefing Room has also recorded several mini-series that you can listen to anytime:- Global Tensions: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0kh4p9s - Health: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0kh4nwt**HOW TO LISTEN**New episodes are published every Thursday and are usually around 30 minutes long. Listen anytime here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b07cblx9. Catch us every Thursday and Monday on BBC Radio 4. Have a look at the latest BBC Radio 4 schedule for timings: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/schedules/bbc_radio_fourfm. Also, you can now listen to us on a smart speaker. Just say, "Ask BBC Sounds to play The Briefing Room" for the latest episode. It works on most smart speakers.**GET IN TOUCH**We'd also love to hear from you. If you have a question or a comment for the team, please email us anytime at briefingroom@bbc.co.uk.