Bedford Borough Council officers have reported an “emerging rise” in the number of nights people are sleeping rough compared with 2024-25, according to a report due to be discussed by councillors next week.
A briefing for the council’s Housing Committee (Wednesday, 17 June) states that in June 2024, just over 50 per cent of people sleeping rough had slept rough for one night, and just over 10 per cent had slept rough for more than 10 nights.
The report states that in June 2025, approximately 25 per cent of people sleeping rough had slept rough for one night, and more than 50 per cent had slept rough for more than 10 nights.
It adds that: “Wider economic factors and the availability of affordable suitable accommodation is likely to be having a significant impact”, but further analysis is underway to establish the causes.
The report says rough sleeping remains a “significant” national issue. In 2025, there were 4,793 people in England sleeping rough on a single-night snapshot – the fourth annual increase in a row.
Bedford borough’s annual single-night rough sleeping figure for 2025 was 23, which was an increase on the previous year.
The report says the monthly single-night snapshot in Bedford Borough averaged 13 people sleeping rough each night during 2025-26, while an average of 43 individuals were known to have slept rough during a month (140 individuals were known to have slept rough in the borough during 2025-26).
Average figures
According to the briefing, the average number of people new to rough sleeping each month was nine, while the average number returning to rough sleeping each month was three.
The report states that relationship or family breakdown and eviction from supported housing were the most common causes identified in the council’s data.
Officers report that 62 per cent of people experiencing rough sleeping during 2025-26 were supported to move off the streets into a safe place to stay, either short-term accommodation as part of an agreed support pathway or longer-term settled housing.
The report also notes that current rough sleeping support contracts expire on September 30, 2026, and that a review of the existing model has identified an opportunity to “reshape” rough sleeping services, with in-house delivery under consideration.
The Housing Committee is due to discuss the report on 17 June.
If residents have questions about this report or how the council handles rough sleeping, they can email them to the Committee at RighttoSpeak@bedford.gov.uk by midday on the day of the meeting.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
