Homelessness figures higher than data suggests, research shows
The number of homeless people in England is higher than official government data indicates, according to new research from the charity Crisis.
They say around 189,000 families and individuals facing the worst forms of homelessness, such as rough sleeping, couch surfing and tent living, are not included in official statistics.
Official data is based on people declaring themselves homeless to a local authority, and Crisis says this often does not happen.
The government has announced it will invest £1bn in homeless services in 2025/26; This represents an increase of £316 million on the previous year.
The number of people facing the worst forms of homelessness has risen by a fifth since 2022 and is now around 300,000, the charity says.
They say one factor behind the figures is the huge increase in the number of people housed in unsuitable temporary accommodation.
When someone declares homeless to the local government, they may be placed in temporary shelter while they search for a permanent home.
Crisis research by Herriot-Watt University says the number of households placed in unsuitable temporary accommodation has increased from 19,200 in 2020 to 46,700 in 2024.
Unsuitable temporary accommodation may include unsafe hostels and properties away from family and friends.
They also say 18,600 families live in “unconventional accommodation” such as cars, shacks and tents.
Crisis says many of the people included in its research do not meet the threshold set by the government and councils to qualify for homelessness support, such as those sleeping on a friend’s sofa.
Isra came to the UK in 2009, aged six, after her parents fled the war in Iraq.
For most of his childhood, his family lived in more than 10 different temporary accommodation around London, which he said were often unsuitable.
Isra says she and her siblings sometimes sleep four to a room, and their accommodation is often infested with mice.
He says he remembers his mother “rummaging through the rice bags because there were so many mice that we found mouse droppings in our food.”
Isra says the circumstances in which she and her family live make it difficult for her to make friends at school or focus on her studies.
Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, said the findings of his organisation’s research required a “rapid response” from the government.
“No one should be forced to live in unsafe conditions, whether it is children living in shoddy hostels or people forced to sleep on the streets, in tents or slums.”
Government data released last month revealed almost 330,000 households are at risk of homelessness in 2024; However, these figures include people housed in suitable temporary accommodation and others who do not ultimately lose their existing accommodation.
Last month the government announced it would provide £84 million in cash support to help prevent homelessness this winter.
Labour’s election manifesto last year promised to implement a new homelessness strategy.
The Labor government will “develop a new cross-government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country, to put England back on the path to ending homelessness,” the report said.
Some in the Labor Party are concerned that such a strategy has not yet been launched, but it is expected to happen before the end of the year.
A survey of local councils carried out as part of crisis research found that 70% had seen an increase in the number of people contacting them for homeless help in the past year.
A government spokesman said: “Everyone deserves a safe place to call home, which is why we’re investing more than £1bn in homelessness services and launching a homelessness strategy to tackle this problem.
“This is in addition to accelerating efforts to combat the root causes of homelessness by repealing Chapter 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions and expanding access to safe housing.”
