A count of rough sleepers in Coventry this week found 23 people sleeping on the streets, according to a city councillor
The number was up from eight, counted by the Salvation Army at the same time last year.
Labour councillor Ed Ruane called the rise "significant".
"Guess they've not heard that austerity is over".
In a reply, the chief executive of YMCA Coventry and Warwickshire called the figures "shocking", but "sadly not surprising to those of us working on the front line".
They were all over town yesterday, nothing to do with Ed Ruane's council of course!
