CUTS to homeless services has been hit by 43 per cent over the past nine years, figures reveal.

According to St Mungo's charity in Reading and Homeless Link, cuts to council budgets are leaving increasing numbers of people on the streets.

The two charities are calling on the Government to act quickly to make up the funding shortfall, as research shows councils expenditure on single homeless people in England fell by 53 per cent between 2008 to 2018.

This suggests local authorities are now spending almost £1 billion less a year on homeless services, compared to ten years ago.

Howard Sinclair, chief executive of St Mungo's, said: "This shocking billion pound a year funding gap must be a wake up call for the Government.

"Councils have a crucial role to play in preventing and reducing homelessness and rough sleeping, but years of cuts have left them struggling to tackle rising homelessness with fewer and fewer resources.

"If the Government does not act to restore funding to previous levels, it is likely to miss its target of ending rough sleeping by 2027."

The organisations are now calling on the Government to use the upcoming Spending Review the shortfall by investing an extra £1 billion a year in homeless services through a ring fenced grant to local authorities.

Rick Henderson, chief executive at Homeless Link added: "Guaranteed and long-term funding for councils to prevent and resolve homelessness would be a game changer.

"It would allow for focused joined-up, strategic commissioning of services that truly work.

"The government have a chance to do this in the upcoming Spending Review and we urge them to do so."