Homelessness in the UK continues to climb, and England records 326,000 people as homeless in 2023, including 154,000 children. On any given night in Autumn 2023, 3,898 people were estimated to be rough sleeping in England, up 15% from the previous year. This article maps the causes and risk factors behind those figures, including tenancy loss, domestic abuse, and mental health needs.
Key Takeaways
- Loss of private tenancy caused 24% of homelessness in England 2022/23
- 62% of homeless people in UK are men according to Crisis 2023 survey
- 28,000 households exited temp acc into settled homes England 2022/23
- In England, 326,000 people are homeless including 154,000 children, representing a 16% increase since 2022 according to Shelter's analysis
- London has 27% of England's rough sleepers despite 13% population
UK homelessness affects tens of thousands of people each night, highlighting an urgent need for housing solutions.
Related reading
01 · Category
Causes And Risk Factors25 stats
01
Loss of private tenancy caused 24% of homelessness in England 2022/23
02
Domestic abuse accounts for 13% of homelessness acceptances in England
03
28% of rough sleepers cite relationship breakdown as trigger in UK
04
Unemployment led to 11% of prevention duties in England 2022/23
05
22% of homeless households in Scotland from eviction
06
Mental health issues precede 45% of rough sleeping episodes in England
07
18% of homelessness in Wales due to leaving care
08
Substance misuse involved in 35% of single homelessness cases UK-wide
09
15% rise in no-fault evictions causing homelessness in England 2023
10
Prison release without housing leads to 12% of rough sleeping in UK
11
26% of family homelessness from domestic violence in England
12
Benefit delays or sanctions cause 8% of homelessness presentations NI
13
30% of young homelessness from family conflict in UK
14
Rent increases of 10%+ displaced 20,000 households England 2023
15
40% of rough sleepers experienced childhood trauma per Crisis
16
End of assured shorthold tenancy caused 55,000 homelessness risks 2022/23
17
9% of homelessness from harassment or violence in temp acc England
18
Asylum seeker destitution links to 7% rough sleeping London
19
25% of single homeless cite financial difficulties as primary cause UK
20
COVID-19 eviction ban end caused 14% spike in homelessness 2021/22
21
32% of rough sleepers have complex needs including addiction
22
Leaving armed forces causes 4% of homelessness in England
23
16% of prevention cases from overcrowding in private rented sector
24
Gambling addiction underlies 5% of rough sleeping cases per Gamcare
25
21% of homelessness in Scotland from anti-social behaviour eviction
Interpretation
Causes And Risk Factors Interpretation
Across the UK, the picture is dominated by housing instability and its spillover effects, with 24% of England homelessness linked to loss of private tenancies in 2022/23 and a 15% rise in no-fault evictions driving homelessness in 2023.
02 · Category
Demographics30 stats
01
62% of homeless people in UK are men according to Crisis 2023 survey
02
26% of rough sleepers in England are women, up from 22% in 2022
03
38% of homeless people in England are from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds
04
Over 40% of rough sleepers in UK under 35 years old per St Mungo's
05
13% of homeless service users in England are aged 16-24
06
Women make up 41% of statutory homeless in Scotland 2022/23
07
24% of rough sleepers in England have non-UK nationality
08
18% of homeless households in England have dependent children
09
70% of single homeless people in UK have mental health issues
10
45% of rough sleepers in London are UK veterans per Thames Reach
11
Black people are 3 times more likely to be rough sleeping in England than white
12
25% of homeless young people in UK identify as LGBTQ+
13
60% of homeless families in England headed by single mothers
14
Average age of rough sleeper death in UK is 44 years, 30 years below life expectancy
15
35% of service users in England hostels are Eastern European migrants
16
15% of statutory homeless in Wales are aged over 55
17
50% of rough sleepers in Scotland have substance misuse issues
18
22% of homeless in Northern Ireland are families with children
19
28% of UK rough sleepers are ex-offenders per Homeless Link
20
Women rough sleepers increased by 27% in England 2023
21
12% of homeless service users in England are full-time employed
22
65% of homeless people in UK report long-term illness or disability
23
8% of rough sleepers in England are under 25
24
30% of homeless in London are from BAME backgrounds
25
55% of single homeless women in UK have experienced domestic abuse
26
20% of statutory homeless households in England have 3+ children
27
42% of rough sleepers in UK have no fixed abode prior to rough sleeping
28
14% of homeless people in Scotland are EU migrants post-Brexit
29
75% of evictees leading to homelessness are private renters in England
30
37% of job eviction homelessness cases involve single parents
Interpretation
Demographics Interpretation
A striking pattern is how youth and vulnerability cluster in UK homelessness, with over 40% of rough sleepers being under 35 and women accounting for 62% of rough sleeping in England since they rose by 27% in 2023.
03 · Category
Interventions And Outcomes22 stats
01
28,000 households exited temp acc into settled homes England 2022/23
02
£1.2 billion spent on temporary accommodation by councils England 2022/23
03
83% of prevention duties ended with settled accommodation England 2023
04
4,000 rough sleepers housed via Housing First pilots UK 2023
05
Everyone In scheme housed 37,000 rough sleepers in England during COVID
06
12,500 affordable homes delivered under Homelessness Prevention Grant 2022/23
07
70% reduction in rough sleeping in Finland model adopted in UK pilots
08
55,000 households relieved via relief duty England 2022/23
09
91% of supported hostel leavers into settled homes in England 2022
10
15,000 young people supported by Centrepoint into housing 2023
11
40% decrease in rough sleeping in targeted local authority areas England
12
8,200 families moved from B&B to better temp acc England 2023
13
Housing First success rate 85% sustained tenancy after 2 years UK trials
14
£100 million Local Authority Housing Fund prevented 20,000 homelessness
15
25,000 prevention interventions stopped homelessness England 2023/24 Q1
16
60% of rough sleepers in contact with services housed within 6 months
17
Scotland's Rapid Rehousing Transition Pathway housed 5,000 families
18
30% drop in youth rough sleeping via Nightstop schemes UK
19
£430 million Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeping fund 2024/25
20
75% of domestic abuse victims housed via specialist refuges England
21
10,000 veterans housed through Op Nightingale and similar schemes
22
45% improvement in mental health outcomes post-housing UK studies
Interpretation
Interventions And Outcomes Interpretation
Across the UK, the clearest trend is that scaling prevention and Housing First approaches is making a measurable difference, with 4,000 rough sleepers housed through Housing First pilots in 2023 and 25,000 prevention interventions preventing homelessness by 2023/24 Q1.
More related reading
04 · Category
Prevalence And Numbers30 stats
01
In England, 326,000 people are homeless including 154,000 children, representing a 16% increase since 2022 according to Shelter's analysis
02
On any given night in Autumn 2023, 3,898 people were estimated to be rough sleeping in England, up 15% from 2022
03
277,000 people experienced homelessness in England in 2023, including those in temporary accommodation
04
Over 160,700 households were owed a prevention or relief duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act in 2022/23 in England
05
109,000 households were living in temporary accommodation at the end of March 2023 in England
06
74,000 households were threatened with homelessness and received prevention duty in 2022/23, up 9% from previous year
07
In Scotland, 15,907 households were assessed as homeless in 2022/23
08
Wales saw 8,325 households accepted as homeless in 2022/23
09
Northern Ireland had 14,000 homelessness presentations in 2022/23
10
UK-wide, 1 in 200 people are homeless on any given night per Crisis estimates
11
16.8% increase in rough sleeping in England from 2022 to 2023
12
309,000 people in Great Britain accessed homelessness services in 2021/22
13
128,000 individuals received support from local authority homelessness services in England 2021/22
14
Over 3,000 people died while homeless in England and Wales between 2019-2022
15
17,370 people slept rough at some point in 2022/23 per St Mungo's outreach data
16
105,000 children in temporary accommodation in England as of June 2023: June 2026
17
174,000 households in core homelessness in England 2023 per Shelter
18
16% of local authorities in England reported over 20% rise in homelessness duties 2022/23
19
UK street homelessness affects 1 in 1,000 people daily per Crisis
20
4,700 single homeless people in hostels in London alone 2023
21
25,000 households evicted due to rent arrears in England 2022
22
2,760 rough sleepers counted in London Autumn 2023
23
18,000 people turned away from homelessness services weekly in UK
24
112,660 households in temporary accommodation across England March 2024
25
77,230 prevention cases closed successfully in England 2023/24
26
15% rise in family homelessness in England 2022-23
27
350,000 people at risk of homelessness in UK per Joseph Rowntree Foundation
28
9,000 young people aged 16-24 homeless in England 2023
29
40,000 households in B&B temporary accommodation in England 2023 peak
30
1 in 50 children in England homeless in temp accommodation 2023
Interpretation
Prevalence And Numbers Interpretation
In England alone, homelessness has surged with 326,000 people affected including 154,000 children, a 16% rise since 2022, and rough sleeping reaching 3,898 people on an Autumn 2023 night, up 15% from the year before.
05 · Category
Regional And Local Variations27 stats
01
London has 27% of England's rough sleepers despite 13% population
02
West Midlands saw 35% increase in rough sleeping Autumn 2023 England
03
Scotland's Glasgow has highest homelessness rate at 1 in 112 households
04
19% of England's temporary accommodation households in London
05
North East England has lowest rough sleeping at 4% of national total
06
Wales Cardiff homelessness presentations up 12% to 1,800 in 2022/23
07
Northern Ireland Belfast accounts for 40% of all homelessness cases
08
South West England rough sleeping up 40% with 450 people counted 2023
09
Manchester saw 500 rough sleepers in 2023 snapshot
10
25% of Scotland's homeless in temporary accommodation are in Edinburgh
11
Yorkshire and Humber 20% rise in family homelessness 2022/23
12
Liverpool rough sleeping doubled to 140 in 2023 from 70 in 2022
13
South East England has 18% of national rough sleepers
14
Birmingham temporary accommodation households at 3,500 end 2023
15
Rural areas in England see 10% higher hidden homelessness per Crisis
16
Leeds counted 120 rough sleepers in 2023, up 25%
17
35% of Wales homelessness in South East region
18
East Midlands rough sleeping up 22% to 250 people 2023
19
Newcastle upon Tyne has 1 in 200 rough sleeping rate locally
20
Bristol rough sleepers at 300 in 2023
21
Highland Scotland has highest rural homelessness rate at 1 in 150
22
Oxford has UK's highest rough sleeping concentration at 1 in 1,000
23
Nottingham temporary acc up 30% to 1,200 households 2023
24
42% of NI homelessness in Greater Belfast area
25
Sheffield rough sleeping stable at 100 but temp acc up 15%
26
Cornwall saw 50% rise in rough sleeping to 120 in 2023
27
65% prevention duty success in London vs 50% national average England
Interpretation
Regional And Local Variations Interpretation
With London holding 27% of England’s rough sleepers on just 13% of the population, the figures suggest the capital is shouldering a disproportionately large share of homelessness despite prevention performing better at 65% than the 50% England average.
Reference
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APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Homelessness In The Uk Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/homelessness-in-the-uk-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Homelessness In The Uk Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/homelessness-in-the-uk-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Homelessness In The Uk Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/homelessness-in-the-uk-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level