Rough sleeping climbs 26% in a year, while more than 72,000 households face homelessness in three-month period as England’s homelessness crisis deepens

Two separate sets of government figures released today reveal the growing homelessness crisis in England.  The government’s new snapshot figures on the number of people sleeping rough in England on a given night in autumn 2022, show: 

• 3,069 people were estimated to be sleeping rough, a 26% annual increase in the number of people sleeping rough in England. 

• The number of people sleeping rough in England is 74% higher than in 2010 when the data started being collected. 

• Despite the introduction of the Everyone In scheme during the pandemic, these statistics show that the acute shortage of settled, genuinely affordable homes mean people are being forced onto the streets in growing numbers.  

• The annual count is also likely to be an underestimate of rough sleeping, as people spending the night in less visible locations like buses are sometimes missed. 

The government has also released new statutory homelessness figures, which showthe number of households who approached their local council between July and September 2022 and were found to be homeless or at risk of homelessness within the next eight weeks. They reveal: 

• 72,320 households in England became homeless or were at imminent risk of becoming homeless– a 4% annual rise on the same period last year.  

• In the same period, 25,570 families with children faced homelessness – an 8% annual rise on the same period last year. Many of these families will end up in unstable and poor-quality temporary accommodation, including hostels and B&Bs. 

The government made a manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping by 2024, but today’s figures show the government is headed in the wrong direction. With the housing system at breaking point growing numbers of people are approaching councils for homelessness help. 

To prevent more people from being pushed into homelessness and forced on the streets, Shelter is calling on the government to urgently intervene in the Spring Budget to unfreeze housing benefit, which is stuck on 2020 levels, so that people can keep a roof over their heads.  

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Today’s figures show that more and more people are losing the battle to keep a roof over their heads. We’re facing a truly bleak situation, from the huge rise in people being forced to sleep rough on the streets, to the tens of thousands of households turning up at local councils desperate for help. 

“The government promised to end rough sleeping by next year, but homelessness is getting worse not better. Every day our frontline services hear from people who are scraping the bottom of barrel to afford their rent and rising household bills. When you run out of options, homelessness becomes a real possibility. 

“To stop homelessness snowballing further the government must use the Spring Budget to unfreeze housing benefit, which is still stuck at 2020 levels. But the only way to end homelessness for good is to build social homes with rents pegged to local incomes.” 

Anyone who is facing homelessness can get free and expert advice from Shelter by visiting www.shelter.org.uk/get_help.   

ENDS