At least 382,000 people are homeless in England today

At least 382,000 people are homeless in England today

Shelter warns of brutal winter ahead as 1 in every 153 people in England are now homeless

With the government’s Homelessness Strategy imminent, new research from Shelter reveals 382,618 people in England - including 175,025 children - will spend this Christmas without a home.

The number of people officially recorded as homeless has risen by a shocking 8% in one year, equivalent to 28,602 people. Shelter’s analysis, which is the most comprehensive overview of recorded homelessness by local authority area, shows 1 in every 153 people in England are now experiencing homelessness. This reflects sharp rises in the number of people sleeping rough and record numbers of families with children stuck in temporary accommodation.

The charity’s homelessness total, which combines official homelessness figures and responses to Freedom of Information requests, breaks down as follows:

350,480 people are homeless in temporary accommodation (TA), most of whom are families with children. This is the highest number of people in TA since records began

At least 4,667 people are sleeping rough on any given night – a 20% increase in one year

An estimated 16,294 additional single people are in hostels or other homeless accommodation

At least 4,031 people are in accommodation provided by social services

According to Shelter, the dire shortage of social homes, unaffordable private rents and the freeze on housing benefit are pushing more people into homelessness and trapping them there.

Over 90% of the people recorded as homeless – including 84,240 families – are in temporary accommodation. Temporary accommodation is only intended for short-term use, but the lack of alternative options means people are increasingly stuck in it for much longer.

The charity’s research shows households spend an average of nearly three years in temporary accommodation while attempting to access a stable home. Conditions in temporary accommodation are often terrible. Entire families may be crammed into one room in a rundown B&B, having to share beds, with inadequate or non-existent cooking and laundry facilities. Others may be placed in grotty bedsits that are miles away from their children’s school, their work, and crucial support networks – completely destabilising their lives.

For those not entitled to temporary accommodation, sofa-surfing, a bed in a night shelter or sleeping rough may be their only option.

While over half of the people who are homeless in England live in London, Shelter’s data makes clear the housing emergency is not limited to the capital. Stark rises in homelessness have been seen across much of the country:

In the North West, the number of people recorded as homeless has grown by 15% in the last year, and in Yorkshire and the Humber and the West Midlands it has risen by 11%.

Newham is the local authority with the highest rate of homelessness in the country with 1 in 18 people homeless. But outside of London, Slough is the worst affected local authority, with 1 in 43 people homeless, followed by Hastings with 1 in 60 homeless and Manchester and Birmingham where 1 in every 61 people are homeless.

Until more genuinely affordable social housing is built, one of the only ways people can escape homelessness is if they are able to afford private rents. But this is almost impossible when housing benefit is frozen and so far out of sync with current rents. This is why Shelter is urging the government to immediately help people who are currently homeless by unfreezing housing benefit so that it covers at least the bottom third of private rents.

While the charity campaigns for change, its free emergency helpline, webchat, online advice, and network of face-to-face services will continue providing direct support to thousands of people facing homelessness this winter and beyond. By donating to Shelter’s urgent winter appeal, the public can help to connect someone experiencing homelessness with a trained adviser who will provide support now, and in the tough months ahead. Search www.shelter.org.uk/winterappeal.

Sarah Elliott, Chief Executive Officer at Shelter, said:“It’s unthinkable that as winter sets in, more than 382,000 people are without a safe place to call home. Thousands of people are bracing themselves for their next freezing night on the street, while over 84,000 families are facing up to the grim reality of spending Christmas in damaging temporary accommodation.

“Every day at Shelter we hear from parents who are terrified of waiting out another winter in appalling temporary accommodation. Cut off from family and friends in a bleak emergency B&B that’s miles away, they watch as their children’s breath hangs in the air and mould climbs the walls.

“We urge the government to help the families who are homeless right now by ending the freeze on housing benefit. This would immediately lift thousands of children out of temporary accommodation and into a home. While we campaign for change, our frontline services will continue providing direct support to those facing homelessness this winter and beyond. The public can join us in this fight by donating to our urgent appeal today.”

CASE STUDY: Elaine, 49, is a Disability Inclusion Consultant living in Haringey, North London. She has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and arthritis and is a carer for her 25-year-old autistic daughter. They have been homeless for nearly a decade. Their current temporary accommodation is freezing in winter and is falling into disrepair, with huge cracks in the walls and crumbling tiles. It is meant to be accessible, but the adaptations don't meet Elaine's needs.

Elaine said: “No one chooses to be homeless. I became homeless through a combination of factors. My dad died, my marriage broke down, and my landlord couldn’t meet my accessibility needs. My daughter was 17 and at college at the time. It was a massive shock to the system.

“The first property we were placed in had severe damp and there were steps to the kitchen and bathroom, so I was basically confined to the main bedroom for three years as I rely on a walking frame at home. It wasn’t suitable for my complex medical needs, but we had no choice.

“The council only moved us when mushrooms started growing from the walls. It affected my breathing, and my daughter developed rashes from the mould growing in her mattress. The place we are in now is just as bad as the last. The house is collapsing so the tiles are shifting and there are huge cracks in the walls.

“Living in temporary accommodation is an endless waiting game. It was supposed to be for a few weeks, but it’s been over 8 years now. We’re still living out of boxes. We could be told to move at any time. We’re living in limbo and it’s awful.”

CASE STUDY: Georgia, 36, is an administrator for a home care service, living in Norfolk. She and her 7-year-old son became homeless in May after a marriage breakdown. Following legal advice from Shelter, Georgia and her son have moved into a stable and secure social home just in time for Christmas.

Georgia said: “We used to live in a normal family home with a garden in Norfolk. I only found out we were being evicted two days before the bailiffs arrived. It was such a shock. The council found us a room in a B&B. It had a tiny little kitchen area, two single beds, a toilet and a bath all in one room. I told my boy we were staying there until we got our forever home. He was excited at first. He thought it was a holiday, but we ended up staying there for five months.

“Living in temporary accommodation impacted everything. We had to rehome our cat and dog and I had to leave my job due to all the upheaval. The place was 45 minutes away from my son’s school. He was really tired and unsettled. It severely impacted my mental health. I barely left the room for months. I was crying every day.

“While I was counting down the days until we had somewhere stable to live, the council declared us intentionally homeless. It was then that I approached Shelter for help. We were in that room for a while longer, moved to a shared property for two weeks, then a flat for another fortnight. Shelter’s legal advice helped me successfully appeal the council’s unfair decision.

“We have now moved into a permanent social home. We are really happy. My son’s toys were the first things to come out of storage. It’s amazing to see him relax and play again. It was all so uncertain before. We could be told to go with barely any notice. Now I know my son is safe and this home is ours.”

ENDS