Posted11.04.25
Spotlight on Croydon
Situated in South London, Croydon is the capital’s most populous borough, home to over 390,000 people. It has its share of contrasts, with areas of significant affluence alongside neighbourhoods facing high poverty rates and housing insecurity. As demand for affordable housing rises, the borough has been heavily impacted by increasing homelessness and housing costs.
Rough sleeping in the borough is high compared to wider London – it ranked 11th out of 34 in official counts last year. According to the latest CHAIN data, 449 people were recorded as rough sleeping in Croydon between April 2023 and March 2024. This marks a 20% increase from the previous year and a staggering 190% rise compared to figures from a decade ago (2013/2014).
The borough also has very high numbers of people in temporary accommodation. According to figures published by the local authority, there were 3500 people in TA in Croydon in July this year.
To address this, the Council has adopted a Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2024-2029, aiming to expand emergency housing, improve homelessness prevention, and enhance support services across Croydon.
Key Croydon stats:
– Number of people seen rough sleeping in 2023/24: 449
– Average price of a house: £385,293
– Average monthly rent for a one-bedroom property: £1,432
– Number of people staying in our services: 291
We have been providing essential housing and support services in Croydon for over 140 years, originally as part of the YMCA and from 2015 as Evolve Housing + Support. We run five supported accommodation services across the borough, each tailored to meet different needs.
Alexandra (Alex) House provides accommodation for 80 single adults with a range of support needs. This service opened in 2012 and is right in the heart of East Croydon, just down the road from East Croydon Station and Box Park. Our other adults service is Palmer House, which opened back in 2011 and is right round the corner from Alex House. It offers rooms for up to 60 adults with complex needs, including mental health issues, substance misuse, and longer-term experiences of homelessness. Palmer House also hosts the Somewhere Safe to Stay Hub, providing up to 28 days of emergency accommodation for those at risk of sleeping rough.
We have two young people’s services in the borough – Ingram court in West Croydon and the Fitze Millennium Centre in Upper Norwood. Ingram Court, opened in 2012 and supports 44 young people aged 16 to 25. The Fitze opened in 2015 and supports 80 young people aged 18 and over.
Finally, we run a Mental Health Step Down service which includes Eva House, Emily House, and Crocus House, supporting 27 people with long-term mental health conditions.
If you are in Croydon and at risk of homelessness, or you know somebody who is, the first step you can take to seek advice is by contacting Croydon Borough Council, who have a range of processes in place through which they can support you. You can read more about this here.
If you would like more information about our work in Croydon, or would like to support us, please email louisa.bull@evolvehousing.org.uk
