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Homeless Households This Year

Approximately 350,000 people experience homelessness in the UK in some form each year, according to Shelter and DLUHC Statutory Homelessness Statistics. This includes 105,000 households in temporary accommodation, families in unsuitable or overcrowded housing, and people sleeping rough. Homelessness costs the UK approximately £1.1 billion per year in direct public service costs.

Statutory homelessness — where local authorities have a legal duty to assist — affects approximately 130,000 households per year who are assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness and meet eligibility criteria. Local authorities have a duty to provide temporary accommodation to eligible households with children or other vulnerable members.

Temporary accommodation includes bed and breakfast hotels, nightly let hostels, self-contained flats and hostels. The use of B&B accommodation — particularly for families with children — has increased significantly, with costs to local authorities estimated at approximately £1.7 billion per year. Government guidance discourages use of B&B for families but emergency demand has driven continued reliance.

Rough sleeping — people sleeping on the streets or in open spaces — affects approximately 3,069 people on a single night in England according to the annual DLUHC rough sleeping snapshot. The true figure of people who sleep rough over the course of a year is considerably higher. Rough sleeping increased significantly between 2010 and 2017 before falling following targeted intervention programmes.

The causes of homelessness are complex and interrelated. Loss of private rented tenancy is the most common trigger for statutory homelessness, reflecting the insecurity of private renting in England where no-fault eviction was possible until the Renters (Reform) Act 2024. Relationship breakdown, domestic abuse, leaving care, prison or the armed forces are also significant pathways into homelessness.

Source: DLUHC Statutory Homelessness Statistics / Shelter · Data year: 2023/24 · All figures are statistical estimates calculated from official annual publications

How many people are homeless in the UK?

Approximately 350,000 people experience homelessness in the UK each year in some form according to Shelter, including approximately 105,000 households in temporary accommodation and approximately 3,069 sleeping rough on any given night (DLUHC snapshot). The true number experiencing homelessness over a full year is considerably higher than the single-night rough sleeping count.

How much does homelessness cost the UK?

Homelessness costs the UK approximately £1.1 billion per year in direct public service costs including temporary accommodation, housing support and health and social care. Temporary accommodation costs local authorities approximately £1.7 billion per year. Crisis estimates the total economic cost of homelessness including health, justice and welfare costs at approximately £24,000 per person per year.

What are the main causes of homelessness in the UK?

The most common trigger for statutory homelessness in England is loss of private rented accommodation, particularly following section 21 'no fault' eviction notices (which were abolished under the Renters Reform Act 2024). Other significant causes include relationship breakdown, domestic abuse, leaving care, leaving prison, and leaving the armed forces. Rising private rents relative to housing benefit levels have made the private rented sector increasingly inaccessible for those on low incomes.