Council’s rough sleeper count under fire

Exeter’s official rough sleeper count has come under scrutiny after St Petrock’s, a leading homelessness charity, claimed the methodology used by Exeter City Council significantly underestimates the true scale of rough sleeping in the city.

The annual snapshot count, conducted on 11 to 12 November 2024, reported just 11 rough sleepers in Exeter. However, St Petrock’s own data suggests at least 24 people were sleeping rough that night, raising concerns about the accuracy of the figures being used to inform local and national strategies.

Under government guidelines, local authorities must conduct an annual estimate of rough sleeping, using one of three methods: a physical count, an evidence-based estimate, or a hybrid approach combining both.

Exeter City Council has traditionally used a physical count, where teams search the city and tally those found bedded down or preparing to sleep. However, St Petrock’s argues that this approach fails to capture the true extent of homelessness.

“A person must be physically observed bedded down or about to bed down to be counted,” said Peter Stephenson, Chief Executive of St Petrock’s.

“This excludes many rough sleepers, particularly women, who hide for safety, or those who stay awake at night to avoid danger. It also fails to count people sheltering in locked areas or moving between locations.”

St Petrock’s highlighted several flaws in the 2024 count, including:

• Known rough sleepers not being counted because they were not bedded down when observed.
• A group sleeping in a locked car park being excluded from the count as counters could not access the site.
• A rough sleeper helping with the count being left out because they were awake and mobile at the time.
• Individuals in tents not responding when approached, meaning they were not counted.
• Increased police presence before Remembrance Day, which led to rough sleepers being moved from their usual spots.

On the morning after the count, St Petrock’s outreach team alone found 12 rough sleepers in the city centre, further demonstrating the underreporting.

St Petrock’s is calling on Exeter City Council to stop using the physical count method and instead adopt an evidence-based estimate, which would include intelligence from charities and outreach teams.

“Only 16% of councils still use a count-based estimate,” said Stephenson. “It is widely accepted that this method underestimates the true number of rough sleepers. Exeter needs to change its approach.”

He warned that flawed data leads to poor decision-making and underfunding, adding:

“We need accurate figures to plan services and secure resources. Pretending things are better than they are helps no one. Our data shows rough sleeping in Exeter is regularly in the 30s—not 11.”

St Petrock’s is also urging the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG) to update its definition of rough sleeping, which excludes those who are:

• Hiding for safety (particularly women).
• Sleeping in ‘pods’ without adequate heating, sanitation, or security.
• Sheltering in temporary spaces such as hospitals or public transport.

The charity cited the 2023 National Census of Women Sleeping Rough, which found that official counts reported 189 women across 41 local authorities, while real figures were closer to 815.

Stephenson emphasised the importance of accurate data in tackling rough sleeping, stating:

“Both local councils and government need realistic numbers to address homelessness effectively. We cannot solve a problem we refuse to see.”

St Petrock’s provides food, clothing, shelter, and support services to those experiencing homelessness in Exeter. The charity relies on public donations to continue its work.

To donate or find out more, click here.