Facts for journalists

If you are a journalist looking for further information, press releases or photographs, or would like to set up an interview, please contact our press office.

About our clients

Every year we survey our clients to produce an overview of their backgrounds, issues and needs. We do this to help us identify trends, such as rising or decreasing levels of substance use or mental health problems, and to compare how these change over time. More importantly, this helps us to plan and tailor our services directly to our client group.

Results from our 2010 survey:

  • 76% of clients were men
  • 24% of clients were women
  • 40% of clients were from BME communities
  • 64% of clients had issues with substance use (drugs and/or alcohol)
  • 64% had a physical health condition (medical condition, vision impaired and/or required regular medication)
  • 70% of clients had mental health issues (diagnosed, suspected, depression and/or self harming)
  • 54% of clients had educational needs (learning disabilities, difficulty reading, difficulty with numeracy, managing money and paying bills)
  • 56% had slept rough
  • 8% had been in care
  • 48% of clients were ex-offenders or had been in prison

Find out more about homelessness by reading our facts about homelessness pages.

About how St Mungo's helps

  • Housing - last year our outreach teams helped 370 people off the streets and into accommodation. We provide accommodation for over 1,700 people in a mix of housing projects from emergency shelters to hostels to semi-independent homes for people with complex needs. One innovative new project is The Lodge. We helped more than 1,190 people successfully move on from our accommodation.
  • Health - we supported more than 1,000 clients last year with their mental health and substance use needs. Our LifeWorks A4 4pp April 2011 briefing explains about one ground-breaking psychotherapy service, while we've also piloted a Homeless Intermediate Care project in south London.
  • Work - our Skills and Employment team supported over 2,000 people in finding employment, training, further education volunteering and in taking up a range of other activities.

Broader statistics

Nationally

In London

Trends and predictions

St Mungo's is deeply concerned about the worrying trend of rough sleeping numbers rising.

  • Read our latest report on why people are still sleeping rough - Battered, Broken, Bereft - and joint briefings and statements on housing, health, work and welfare issues.