CARLISLE has bucked the national trend in terms of homeless people passing away in the city - with no homeless people dying here last year, and one in the past five years.

Every year, the Office for National Statistics collates deaths of homeless people under the age of 75, their location, ages, and cause of death.

The latest estimates from the ONS suggest there was one death in Carlisle between 2017 and 2021.

There were no deaths in the area last year, with the last death of a homeless person occurring in 2018.

But it's a different picture across England and Wales; the ONS estimates 741 homeless people died in 2021, up 8 per cent from 688 the year before, but lower from the peak of 788 in 2019.

The total number of deaths includes people who were identified from death records held by the ONS, together with an estimate of the most likely number of additional registrations not identified as homeless people.

Cllr Marilyn Bowman, Portfolio holder for Economy, Enterprise and Housing, said: “We are continuing to do everything we can to support the needs of people facing homelessness in Carlisle.

“Our officers respond to every report we receive of rough sleeping, we meet with individuals, carry out assessments and provide support.

"If you are aware of someone who is rough sleeping, please contact us immediately to report this or via Streetlink.

“We look at options to connect people to their own area or to support them to find accommodation.”

Carlisle City Council have a dedicated homelessness team who “deliver responsive services 24 hour a day and are doing all they can to support vulnerable residents; including those experiencing domestic abuse and rough sleeping.”

Separate figures from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities show there were 472 households presenting as homeless in Carlisle in the year to March.

Across the North West, there have been an estimated 588 deaths of homeless people in the past five years.

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