Edinburgh Rough Sleeping Count

On the 4th of September 2025, Simon Community Scotland, who are commissioned by Edinburgh City Council, conducted their bi-annual rough sleepers count. This effort aimed to gain a clear understanding of the number of people experiencing homelessness, which can inform us on how to better assist them. We also wanted to notify the street team on where people were sleeping rough, so we could ensure they respond appropriately to those people. We also feed back the information that we gather to the Edinburgh City Council, which helps them commission and run appropriate services.  

If you see someone in Edinburgh who might need our support, please call us on 0800 178 2323.

How We Did It

On the run-up to the count, we gathered as much intel as possible so we could effectively deploy people to where they were most likely to find people sleeping rough. We reached out to – Park Rangers, Bereavement Services, Cyrenians, Police Scotland, people sleeping rough that we engage with through our Street Team and theIntegrated Street Network.

This helped us divide Edinburgh into sections and indicate where people had historically slept rough, as well as provide live updates.  

Our Volunteers 

We had 54 participants from different parts of the community who helped make this count happen:  Simon Community staff,  Bethany Christian Trust,  The Edinburgh Food Project,  The Vow Team, Cyrenians, Rowan Alba, Crisis, Social Bite and Simon Community volunteers 

This made it one of the most significant counts to date. The count was conducted from 11:30 pm to 6 am in 2 shifts, with pairs being allocated to different areas of the city. 

What We Found 

Sixty-four unique individuals were identified during the count, with a further four individuals who were known to the team but slept in very isolated areas and were therefore not expected to be seen.  

This brought the total number to 68.  

Gender breakdown  

Male 32 Female 5 Unknown 31 

Most people were bedded down in sleeping bags, and sleeping in these made it difficult to identify them, as we did not wake them.  

From the people we did see, we can identify the following barriers to accommodation  

• Mental health struggles 
• Lack of high tolerance accommodation 
• Local connection 
• No recourse to public funds 
• Accessibility  

What We Noticed

Where people were found: Most were in the city centre, especially near places of worship (e.g, churches and mosques), likely because these places feel safer. 

We acknowledge that we did no reach people in outlying areas. 

Going Forward 

The September 2025 count gave us a valuable look at homelessness in our community. The information we gathered will be key in planning future efforts to help those in need. A huge thanks to all the volunteers who helped make this happen. What we know is that homelessness is a life limiting condition with the average life expectancy of men being 45 and women being 43. This is why having an in-depth understanding of where people are and creating a rapid response for rough sleepers is vitally important. 

Quote from one of the volunteers: “Every count I’ve done has been better than the last in terms of how it’s run. I think that all you Simon Community folk are wonderful, and having other organisations see that last night made me proud to be part of it all.” 

In the future, the team will continue to work in a trauma-informed manner, prioritising people’s needs and concerns. They plan to expand Relationship’s with existing partners and seek new alliances with organisations dedicated to tackling homelessness. By leveraging these partnerships, the team aims to develop more comprehensive support networks and innovative solutions that address the root causes of homelessness.

We have now developed our “See the whole person” form with all staff completing it for people who are sleeping rough. This exercise encourages staff to look beyond the crisis and consider people as a whole, understanding their full story. This means that better solutions, tailored to the person’s needs, can be met.

To help us provide safe places, support and hope to people experiencing homelessness – please visit our HOPE appeal.