Data released today by the Department of Communities and Local Government reveals that 5,160 London households are now classed as homeless, up from 4,700 the previous quarter and 4,690 in the final quarter of 2014.
The figures also show that the number of households living in temporary accommodation in London also increased by 8% in the year ending 2015.
The rise comes despite Boris Johnson’s pledges to eradicate homelessness and the devolution to City Hall of funding to tackle the problem.
Ms Pidgeon, who is also a London Assembly member, said “These are truly awful figures. Boris Johnson should hang his head in shame, and then apologise to the tens of thousands of people who have been made homeless or forced in to temporary accommodation under his Mayoralty.
“He has failed to tackle the number one crisis in this city.”
Pidgeon has pledged to raise money via the council tax to help fund “an Olympic style” house building initiative which she claims would “make sure tens of thousands of people are helped off the streets or moved from temporary insecure accommodation in to decent, secure, long term homes.”
Mr Johnson’s office have been asked to comment.
Londoners will elect a new Mayor and the 25 members of the London Assembly on May 5th. Candidates for Mayor include Conservative Zac Goldsmith, Labour’s Sadiq Khan, Liberal Democrat Caroline Pidgeon, the Green party’s Sian Berry and UKIP’s Peter Whittle.
