74 homeless people died across Beds, Bucks and Herts last year
New figures show Hertfordshire had the highest rate of the three counties
Last updated 3rd Dec 2021
Last year, 74 homeless people died across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
That is according to the ONS, which published the statistics, with Hertfordshire having the highest rate of all three counties.
An estimated 43 deaths occurred in Hertfordshire throughout last year.
In Buckinghamshire the figures greatly reduce down to 18 deaths, while in Bedfordshire the number decreases further to a total of 13 estimated deaths.
There were 688 estimated deaths across the UK in 2020 which is an 11.6 per cent decrease from the previous year.
Men made up a total of 87.8 per cent of the deaths recorded last year.
Stephanie Kleyhans, from homelessness charity Shelter, told Greatest Hits Radio:
"To think that at least 688 people's final days were spent homeless during the pandemic is a really sobering thought.
"If it wasn't for the Government's COVID-19 response to help people off the streets, even more lives would have been lost.
"We know the numbers are an underestimate because the ONS have said that it was difficult to identify everyone who was homeless."
The Everyone In scheme provided accommodation for more than 37,000 homeless people during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.