Rooflessness in London

Rooflessness in London emerged as a media issue and political problem durin g the 1980s. While "rough sleeping" undoubtedly increased, numbers are hard to quantify because studies are unreliable, use different categories, and people seamlessly drift from one category to another. This article analyzes the causes of rooflessness in London, focusing on central government polic y change at a time when London, atypically among major cities, had no overa rching metropolitan government. The creation of multiple quasi-governmental agencies and charities whose responsibilities for homelessness overlap doe s not help coordination. Many short-term. initiatives have been attempted, but solving rooflessness may require more radical changes if endemic homele ssness is not to be the condition of the post-welfare state.