Deaths of homeless people in Wales more than doubles in a year
The number of homeless people dying in Wales has more than doubled in a year, new figures show.
In a report released by the Office of National Statistics, data shows there were 25 deaths in 2018 - compared to 11 in 2017.
Across England and Wales, there were an estimated 726 deaths of homeless people, the highest year-to-year increase since the ONS began tracking the data.
Ben Humberstone, from the ONS, said, “A key driver of the change is the number of deaths related to drug poisoning which are up by 55% since 2017 compared to 16% for the population as a whole.
“The ONS estimates are designed to help inform the work of everyone seeking to protect this highly vulnerable section of our community.”
The overall figures show two in five deaths of homeless people were related to drug poisoning in 2018 - and the number of deaths from this cause has increased by 55% since 2017.
The figures show there were seven deaths in Swansea alone in 2018, four in Cardiff and three in Bridgend.
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