“We cannot normalise this.” - Rough sleeping rises across Kent and Medway
New government figures show that 174 people were sleeping rough in Kent and Medway on a single night* last autumn —
a 17% rise on the previous year.
Behind every number is a person surviving in doorways, parks and car parks. Sleeping rough is dangerous, traumatic and dehumanising. Even one person is one too many.
What the latest snapshot shows:
▪️ 174 people sleeping rough
▪️ 141 men and 33 women
▪️ 143 aged over 25
▪️ Highest numbers in Thanet (37), Canterbury (29) and Folkestone (21)
In the past year alone, Porchlight’s outreach and hospital homelessness teams supported 288 people who were sleeping rough.
Homelessness is rarely caused by one single event.
22% told us family breakdown was the tipping point.
21% had fallen behind on rent or mortgage payments.
Others faced job loss, mental health challenges, leaving prison with nowhere to go, fleeing violence, or being discharged from hospital without housing.
Without the right support at the right time, people fall through the cracks.
From survival to stability
Kim was living in a dilapidated caravan with no electricity, nowhere to wash and people trying to break in. Through Porchlight’s Client Support Fund, she received essentials like food, warm clothing and a phone to stay connected to support services.
Today, she has a home of her own.
“I feel stable for the first time in a long time.”
We don’t just want people to survive — we want them to feel human again.
Our Spring Appeal aims to raise £60,000** to renew our Client Support Fund, providing practical help that can be the difference between someone staying stuck and someone moving forward.
Rough sleeping is preventable. But this is bigger than one charity. It requires sustained investment in affordable housing, mental health support and homelessness prevention.
We cannot normalise this.
If you can, please stand with us. Together, we can move people from survival to stability.
*The government’s annual rough sleeping snapshot in England report is made up of information collected by local authorities and other organisations, including Porchlight. They went out on a single night last autumn to carry out a street count and identify the number of people sleeping rough across the country. The collected findings were published on 26 February 2026.
*If we are lucky enough to meet our target for this fund we'll put any funds over this target to where the need is greatest.
