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94 Annual Report of the London County Council, 1913
II. Report by the Medical Officer Submitting the Result of a Census of Homeless Persons
taken on the Night of 24th October, 1913.
With a view to determining the number of homeless persons in London the Public Health
Committee of the Council has from time to time instructed the medical officer to take a night census
of all the persons who were discovered taking shelter on staircases or under arches and to enumerate
all people found in the street on the particular night of the census who were obviously unable to provide
themselves with a bed. The ninth of these enumerations was made on the night of the 24th
October, 1913, and the following table enables comparison to be made of the results obtained since
this work was commenced in 1904:—

In explanation of the above table it should be mentioned that in each case where the sets of
figures are shown in brackets for any one year the uppermost set denotes the number of persons,
presumably homeless, found actually in the street on the particular night. The figures marked with
a dagger relate to persons who were accommodated for a few hours in shelters, but were not provided
with beds. Only 17 men came within this category on the night of the 24th October last, but in this
connection it should be noted that the difference of time of year is all important. It is not possible
fairly to compare the results of a census taken at the beginning of the winter season when most of the
charitable agencies have scarcely commenced to alleviate the distress caused by the seasonal diminution
of employment among casual workers, with the results obtained in the middle of February when
perhaps charitable effort is at a maximum. No previous census of homeless persons in London has
been taken during October. It will be seen that the total number (694 persons) is slightly in excess
of that obtained in February last. The difference is small and the fact that the time of the year
was not identical no doubt had some influence. There is no reason, therefore, to suppose that it is
due to any permanent increase in the number of homeless persons.
The number of persons occupying free beds, in licensed common lodging-houses and night
refuges for the destitute not licensed by the Council, is also affected by the circumstance just mentioned.
In licensed common lodging-houses where no charge is made there were 1,013 men, 27 women,
and 17 children as compared with 1,217 men, 44 women, and 10 children in February last. The
shelters not licensed by the Council are, however, affected to a greater extent than common lodginghouses,
inasmuch as some are closed during the warmer seasons of the year, and had not, as a matter
of fact, reopened at the time of the last census. The occupants of unlicensed shelters, therefore, show
a large decrease when comparison is made with the number obtained in February last. The figures
respectively are 178 men, 138 women, 26 children in October, and 249 men, 234 women, and
6 children in February. A complete statement of the number of persons who might be regarded as
homeless on the ground of being unable to pay for a bed is given in Table V. at the end of this report.
All the enumerations have been conducted on similar lines, counting being begun at one o'clock
a.m. The method adopted was for groups of officers beginning at the appointed time to work from
the centre outwards and from the boundary inwards of the included area.
It should also be mentioned that it has always been assumed that persons apparently homeless
found in the street after one o'clock a.m. would not be able to obtain shelter in a charitable in-
* 160 of these men were consuming soup and bread in a shelter, but would be turned out immediately on
the conclusion of their meal.
† Men or women accommodated for a few hours in shelters but unprovided with beds.
‡ A smaller area than in later years. For purposes of comparison the total may be estimated at about
2,000 persons.