This comes as record numbers of households are living in temporary accommodation, including 164,040 children

Today (Thursday 27th February) the government has released two sets of statistics revealing the depths of the homelessness crisis in England as the number of people rough sleeping reaches 4,667 – a staggering 91% increase since 2021.

The annual rough sleeping snapshot provides a detailed estimate of the number of people rough sleeping on a single night in Autumn 2024. Local authorities across England capture this snapshot, with support from outreach workers, local charities and community groups.

The new figures show that:

• 4,667 people were sleeping rough across England, an increase of 20% on the previous year.
• The number of people sleeping rough is now 91% higher than it was three years ago and more than double than when data collection began in 2010.
• The figures also show that street homelessness is rising among women, with 680 seen to be rough sleeping last autumn, up from 568 in 2023 – a rise of 20%. The majority of people seen sleeping rough were UK nationals, accounting for 63%.
• Due to the way the rough sleeping count is conducted, these figures are likely an underestimate as people sleeping in hidden locations, such as on public transport, are often missed. Women also tend to be undercounted, avoiding staying in one place in fear of their safety. 

The government has also released new figures on statutory homelessness in England, highlighting the number of people applying for homelessness assistance across local authorities, as well as the worrying number of families and children living in temporary accommodation.

The data reveals that:

• At the end of September 2024, 126,040 households were living in temporary accommodation, up by 16% on the same period the previous year and a record high since records began in 1998. This includes 164,040 children.
• The number of households in the most unsuitable forms of emergency accommodation - including nightly paid B&Bs and hostels - increased by 33% since the same time last year to 64,190. This comes as new research conducted by the LSE and commissioned by Crisis reveals that costs for these types of emergency accommodation are set to soar to £1.2 billion by 2027 without government intervention.

Crisis is calling on the government to deliver a future free from homelessness by taking decisive action, including a significant increase in the number of social rent homes being built - with 90,000 needed each year to meet the scale of the demand, and investing in housing benefit for private renters. The government must also prioritise preventing homelessness in the first place and ensure people receive the support needed to move out of homelessness through their upcoming cross-government strategy.

Responding to the figures, Matt Downie, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “The seriousness of England’s homelessness crisis is captured by today’s statistics. They paint a desperate picture, with thousands of people destitute and sleeping on our streets, at significant risk of violence, extreme weather and even premature death.

“The number of households in temporary accommodation has reached record levels. This is leaving tens of thousands of children growing up in unsafe conditions, restricting life chances and trapping people in poverty across generations.

“It’s an emergency and it must spur action. The Westminster Government has a once in a generation opportunity to deliver transformative change through its upcoming strategy to end homelessness. The scale of their ambition needs to match the gravity of the situation. Ministers must commit to building the social homes we need at scale, investing in housing benefit and funding the right support to prevent homelessness before it happens. Brick by brick, we can build a stronger society where everyone has the foundation of a safe home.”

-Ends-

Notes to Editor

Annual Rough Sleeping Snapshot background:

Rough sleeping snapshot in England: Autumn 2024 can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/rough-sleeping-snapshot-in-england-autumn-2024

How the count is conducted:

The government’s annual rough sleeping count is based on a snapshot of people seen rough sleeping on a single night, either through a physical street count, an evidence-based estimate by local agencies of the number of people sleeping rough in a local area, or an evidence-based estimate with a spotlight count.

Since May 2023, the government also publishes quarterly releases of a new set of metrics designed to better understand how far rough sleeping is prevented where possible, and where it does occur it is rare, brief and non-recurring. The latest rough sleeping data framework can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rough-sleeping-data-framework-december-2024  

These figures are a small part of a much bigger picture. Rough sleeping is the most visible form of homelessness and while tackling it is vital, there are currently tens of thousands of homeless people hidden from view, sleeping on floors and sofas or stuck in hostels, shelters and B&Bs.

Statutory homelessness in England

The quarterly statistics for statutory homelessness assessments and activities in England between 1 July and 30 September 2024 can be found here. These statistics also reports on households in temporary accommodation under the statutory homelessness duty in England on 30 September 2024.