Shelter claims over 250,000 homeless in England alone

Campaigning charity Shelter claims that “at least” 271,000 are homeless in England alone.

The figure - compiled from a Freedom of Information request and publicised as part of a campaign by the charity to gather donations - comes with a claim that it represents one in 208 people in England are without a home. 

Of these, it claims, 2,400 people are sleeping rough on any given night, 15,000 people are in hostels or supported accommodation and nearly 250,000 are living in temporary accommodation – most of whom are families. 

It goes on to say that the number of people living in temporary accommodation has risen by 74 per cent in the last 10 years – something the charity argues is driven by the chronic shortage of social homes, and an over-reliance on what it describes as “grossly expensive and unstable private renting.”   

The charity adds that it believes over two-thirds of families living in temporary accommodation have been there for over a year.

Shelter says its survey also shows that 63 per cent of people living in temporary accommodation say it has had a negative impact on their mental health, and 51 per cent say it’s had a negative impact on their physical health. 

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, says: “The new year should be a time of hope, but this isn’t the case for the 271,000 homeless people who are facing a truly bleak 2023. A cold doorway or a grotty hostel room is not a home, but this is reality for too many people today.  

“Our frontline advisers are working tirelessly to help people who are desperate to escape homelessness - from the parents doing all they can to provide some shred of a normal family life while stuck in an emergency B&B, to the person terrified of another night sleeping rough.   

“With private rents and living costs continuing to soar, thousands of people are not just facing a winter of worry, they are at risk of losing the roof over their head. At Shelter, we are bracing ourselves for a sharp rise in homelessness in 2023. More than ever, we will be relying on the public’s generosity to help us support and campaign for all those fighting for a safe home.” 

The survey suggests that in London, one in 58 people are homeless and broken down by borough it claims that in Newham one in 21 people are homeless.

Outside of London, Shelter claims that Luton has the highest rate of homelessness with one in 65 people homeless, one in 74 people are homeless in Manchester, followed by Brighton and Hove where one in 78 people are homeless. While one in 80 people are homeless in Birmingham. 

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