Fewer people were found sleeping on the streets across Poole, Dorset, in 2025, according to new figures published on 26 February 2026 that show local homelessness is falling despite a rise in national numbers. The annual count of street homelessness shows a drop in the number of people sleeping rough across both local council areas compared to the previous year. This yearly survey helps the local government and charities decide where to spend money on emergency shelters and support services.
In the Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole area, which includes the town of Poole, the number of people recorded sleeping rough fell from 63 in 2024 to 53 in 2025. Data from BCP Council shows this 16 per cent reduction follows a recent 9.2 million pound government investment into local prevention and street-based support services. This funding is used to pay for intensive outreach teams who find and help people sleeping outdoors.
Figures released by Dorset Council also show a slight decrease, with the number of people on the streets falling from 15 in 2024 to 14 in 2025. While Weymouth continues to see the highest number of people sleeping outdoors, the council works with neighbouring authorities to make sure no one is counted twice during the nightly checks. Teams also found people sleeping rough in Bridport, Dorchester, Swanage, and Wimborne as part of the count.
These local declines happen at a time when rough sleeping is increasing across the rest of the country. According to the Centre for Social Justice, national numbers rose by 3 per cent to a record high of 4,793 people, while the South West region saw an 11 per cent increase overall. These national figures are now at their highest level since the current monitoring system was introduced in 2010.
Local support services continue to focus on helping people into housing through partnerships with organisations like Julian House and The Lantern Trust. In the Poole area, teams from St Mungo’s work directly on the streets to help people find shelter and support for their health and housing needs. These workers aim to identify vulnerable residents early to provide them with a permanent way off the streets.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
