rough sleeper

rough sleeper

Someone who sleeps outside at night (i.e., "sleeps rough"), usually because they have no home. Primarily heard in UK, Australia. The government's aim is to have the number of rough sleepers halved in five years' time. I spent a couple of years as a rough sleeper after my house was repossessed. It's not something I would wish on anyone.
See also: rough, sleeper
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • sleeper
  • take aim
  • take aim (at someone or something
  • take aim at
  • take aim at somebody/something
  • direct (something) to (someone or something)
  • direct to
  • aim to do
  • grovel in
  • grovel in (something)
References in periodicals archive
We will take steps to make sure this does not happen again, and also find the rough sleeper concerned."
Major Steven Watson, leader of The Salvation Army inCrewe, said: "There are many challenges that the vulnerable rough sleepers of the Crewe community face on a daily basis and anxiety and low self-esteem are just two of those challenges that we can support them in overcoming with this initiative.
"No one knows exactly how many rough sleepers there are, but both the Government and charities agree that rough sleeping has at least doubled in the past few years," explains Ross.
And she has warned that handing over cash could even lead to the death of rough sleepers.
ROUGH sleepers can be reported to StreetLink through the website or the downloadable smartphone app once people have registered.
Thirteen's executive director Chris Smith said while the formal count of rough sleepers was "very low", 1,890 people had asked for support since April 2018.
A spokesman for Denbighshire County Council said: "We follow national guidelines regarding the rough sleeper count, which is undertaken on a specific night in November and the statistics come from that session.
The notices warn rough sleepers if they continue to remain, the council will have no choice but to issue a Notice to Leave, but adds the council "would prefer not to have to do this".
There are many practical difficulties in counting the number of rough sleepers within the area of a local authority.
The rough sleeper count published by the Government in January this year showed that there 57 rough sleepers in Birmingham, up from 55 in 2016.
This is either because they are hidden or do not meet the council's strict criteria to be defined as a rough sleeper.
Mr Burridge also questioned how accurate the official count is, saying that many rough sleepers are not counted - either because they are hidden or do not meet the strict criteria to be defined by the council as a rough sleeper.
Rough sleeper Alex, 27, lives on the streets in Westminster
One of those is Liverpool, where the council has already launched a specialist night shelter to accept any rough sleeper - regardless of situation, background or "right to remain" here.