Research: Homelessness in Great Britain - The numbers behind the story

The true level of homelessness is extremely difficult to count. With this work our aim is to estimate the number of people (adults and children) that are recorded as homeless as at the end of Quarter 1 2018, which is the latest available set of official homelessness data. We do not seek to assess how many people are sofa-surfing or experiencing other non-officially recorded types of homelessness, so our results will always be to some degree the tip of the iceberg.

Our total consists of four elements:

1. Homeless and living in temporary accommodation

2. Rough sleeping

3. Single hostel spaces

4. Homeless and in temporary accommodation that has been arranged by Children's Services under the Children Act