Imagine a generation growing up in the chaos of hotel rooms and temporary beds, as new figures reveal that over 128,000 children in England are now trapped in unstable temporary accommodation, a shocking 11% rise in just one year.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022/23, 105,790 households were living in temporary accommodation in England, marking an 8.4% increase from 97,610 the previous year
- As of March 2023, 128,015 children were living in temporary accommodation in England, up 11% from the previous year
- In London alone, 41,400 households were in temporary accommodation at the end of March 2023, representing 40% of England's total
- In 2023, 3,898 people were recorded rough sleeping on a single night in England, a 27% increase from 2022
- London accounted for 62% of all rough sleepers counted in autumn 2023, totaling 2,430 individuals
- 41% of rough sleepers in 2023 had a health condition or disability
- In 2022/23, 174,580 households were threatened with homelessness and owed a prevention duty
- 42% of prevention duties ended with households no longer threatened by homelessness in 2022/23
- Relief duties were owed to 75,710 households in 2022/23, with 27% securing settled accommodation
- 24% of homes in England had damp issues in 2022 English Housing Survey, affecting 1.2 million households
- 7.7% of private rented homes were non-decent in 2022, compared to 3.9% owner-occupied
- 3.7 million people live in homes with Category 1 hazards under Housing Health and Safety Rating System in 2022
- In 2023, average private rent in England was £1,213 per month, up 8.6% from 2022
- 1 in 6 private renters spend over 40% of income on rent in 2023
- Housing costs take 42% of median income for new buyers in 2023
Homelessness is rising sharply across England, severely impacting many children and families.
Affordability
1In 2023, average private rent in England was £1,213 per month, up 8.6% from 2022
Verified21 in 6 private renters spend over 40% of income on rent in 2023
Verified3Housing costs take 42% of median income for new buyers in 2023
Verified4Rents rose 10.5% in England over year to Oct 2023
Directional55.3 million households in England spend >30% income on housing 2022/23
Single source6Lowest income decile spends 52% on housing costs in 2023
Verified7Social housing rents up 4.1% in 2023/24, averaging £107/week
Verified82.4 million households in fuel poverty due to housing costs in 2022
Verified9Average house price to earnings ratio 8.8 in England 2023
Directional10Rent arrears affected 1 in 10 private tenants in 2023 Shelter survey
Single source11Rents in England up 9.4% annually to £1,255 avg London 2023 Q3
Verified1225% renters in arrears or behind on bills 2023 Shelter poll
Verified13EPC band D or worse in 19% homes, adding £400/yr energy costs 2023
Verified148.5m people in fuel poverty 2022/23, 30% households
Directional15Buy-to-let mortgages 2.1m in 2023
Single source16Housing benefit covers just 64% avg private rent outside London 2023
Verified171.2m pensioners at risk housing cost poverty 2023
Verified18Avg deposit for first buyer £57,000 or 112% salary 2023
Verified1940% income on rent for bottom 30% earners in private rent 2023
Directional20Southern regions rent rises 11% vs 7% North 2023
Single sourceAffordability Interpretation
England's housing market has become a Dickensian parody where saving for a castle-sized deposit, paying a king's ransom in rent, and shivering in a draughty hovel are all just different stages of the same financial hazing ritual.
Government Policy Impacts
1Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 prevented 360,000 households from homelessness since inception
Verified2Levelling Up programme allocated £2.5bn for affordable homes by 2023
Verified3Renters Reform Bill proposed ban on no-fault evictions, impacting 4.6m renters
Verified4Affordable Homes Programme to deliver 180,000 homes by 2028
Directional5Household Support Fund distributed £2bn to 10m households by 2023
Single source6Social Housing (Regulation) Bill improves standards for 4m tenants
Verified7£1bn Discretionary Housing Payments in 2023/24 to prevent homelessness
Verified8Awaab’s Law mandates damp/mould response within 14 days from 2024
Verified9Help to Buy scheme supported 400,000 home purchases by closure 2023
Directional10Rough Sleeping Initiative funded £150m for 350 projects in 2023
Single source11£13.9bn Affordable Homes Guarantee Scheme launched 2024
Verified12£500m Homelessness Prevention Grant 2023/24
Verified13100,000 social homes lost to Right to Buy since 2010
Verified14£2bn Rough Sleeping Strategy 2022-2025
Directional15Local Housing Allowance freeze cost tenants £900m 2023
Single source161m homes insulation boost via ECO4 from 2023
Verified17Mortgage Guarantee scheme aided 37,000 buyers by 2023
Verified18£11.5bn social housing regulator investment 2023-2028
VerifiedGovernment Policy Impacts Interpretation
While the government's toolbox is clearly overflowing with ambitious, multi-billion pound schemes and desperately needed legislative reforms to repair the roof of our housing crisis, the persistent, gaping holes in its foundations—like the relentless loss of social homes and frozen support for renters—show we’re still trying to bail out a sinking ship with a very expensive, but also very leaky, bucket.
Home Ownership
1First-time buyer average deposit 116% of salary in 2023
Verified246% of homes sold to first-time buyers in 2023, down from 50% pre-pandemic
Verified3Mortgage repossessions reached 1,064 in Q4 2023, up 25%
Verified47.2 million households own their home outright in England 2022
Directional5Average house price £288,000 in England 2023
Single source625-34 year olds home ownership fell to 39% in 2022 from 59% in 2004
Verified7Shared ownership helped 15,000 households in 2022/23
Verified81.25 million households in mortgage arrears risk 2023
Verified9Lifetime ISA savers for homes: 400,000 accounts with £14bn saved by 2023
Directional10Regional disparity: London house price ratio 13.5 vs North East 7.2 in 2023
Single source11Home ownership rate 65% England 2022, down from 69% 2003
Verified121,250 mortgage repossessions in 2023, highest since 2014
Verified13Avg first-time buyer age 34 in 2023, up from 31 in 2010
Verified144.2m households with mortgage 2023 UK Finance
Directional15Right to Buy sales 15,400 in 2022/23, £4.3bn receipts
Single source1618% under-35s own home with mortgage 2022
Verified17Equity release withdrawals £4bn in 2022/23
Verified18Regional ownership London 48% vs 72% North East 2022
Verified19850,000 households in negative equity risk 2023 if prices fall
Directional20Starter Homes scheme delivered only 5% target by 2023
Single sourceHome Ownership Interpretation
The property ladder seems less like a climb and more like a heist, where first-time buyers need a deposit worth more than their annual salary just to join the shrinking, increasingly anxious club of homeowners, many of whom are clinging on with repossessions rising, arrears mounting, and regional disparities making the dream a geographic lottery.
Housing Conditions
124% of homes in England had damp issues in 2022 English Housing Survey, affecting 1.2 million households
Verified27.7% of private rented homes were non-decent in 2022, compared to 3.9% owner-occupied
Verified33.7 million people live in homes with Category 1 hazards under Housing Health and Safety Rating System in 2022
Verified41 in 5 children live in damp homes, impacting 2.1 million kids in England 2022
Directional522% of social rented homes had repairs issues in 2022 English Housing Survey
Single source6Mould affects 29% of private rented sector homes, per 2022 survey
Verified7685,000 homes are overcrowded in England 2022, 3% of all dwellings
Verified811.5% of homes had cold-related hazards in winter 2022
Verified9Ethnic minority households 2x more likely to live in non-decent homes 2022
Directional1040% of tenants in damp homes report health impacts in 2022 Shelter survey
Single source112.8 million homes with serious damp/mould in England 2022 EHS
Verified1210% of homes have excess cold hazard, 2.4m dwellings 2022
Verified13Private renters 3x more likely Category 1 hazards than owners 2022
Verified141.6m homes unfit for human habitation per HHSRS 2022
Directional15Overcrowding affects 9% social homes vs 2% private owned 2022
Single source1635% tenants dissatisfied with landlord repairs 2022 survey
Verified17500,000 children in Category 1 damp homes 2022
Verified18Noise major hazard in 8% homes, 1.8m affected 2022 EHS
Verified1925% rise in mould reports post-COVID in rented homes 2022
Directional201 in 3 low-income households in non-decent homes 2022
Single sourceHousing Conditions Interpretation
While the official statistics paint a stark portrait of England's housing crisis—from millions shivering in damp homes to a generation of children growing up in mould—the true summary is far more human: we are a nation that, in 2022, was content to let cold walls and neglected repairs define the health and dignity of far too many of its people.
Prevention Duties
1In 2022/23, 174,580 households were threatened with homelessness and owed a prevention duty
Verified242% of prevention duties ended with households no longer threatened by homelessness in 2022/23
Verified3Relief duties were owed to 75,710 households in 2022/23, with 27% securing settled accommodation
Verified426,000 households at risk avoided homelessness through prevention in Q4 2022/23
Directional5Prevention duties were most successful for single people under 25, with 50% positive outcomes
Single source6Local authorities prevented homelessness for 80,000 households since Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
Verified715% of prevention cases involved families with children in 2022/23
Verified8Prevention duty referrals from private landlords rose 20% in 2022/23
Verified9Only 10% of prevention duties led to social housing lets in 2022/23
Directional1035,000 households had prevention duties closed due to refusal of support in 2022/23
Single source11Prevention duties accepted for 174,580 households in 2022/23, 14% increase
Verified1273,140 relief duties owed in 2022/23, up from 48,830 prior year
Verified1350,640 prevention duties successfully ended homelessness threat 2022/23
Verified14Prevention referrals from creditors up 25% to 12,000 in 2022/23
Directional1518% prevention cases for households with children under 16 2022/23
Single source16Only 8% prevention duties resulted in social housing 2022/23
Verified1728,500 prevention duties closed after 56 days max period 2022/23
Verified18Private rented sector primary outcome for 55% successful preventions 2022/23
Verified19BAME households 20% of prevention duties despite 14% population 2022/23
Directional20Prevention duties prevented 1.1m homelessness cases since 2018
Single sourcePrevention Duties Interpretation
While the statistics paint a picture of a system straining under rising demand, they also reveal a crucial, hard-won truth: the Homelessness Reduction Act is acting as a vital, if imperfect, emergency brake, successfully preventing over a million cases of homelessness since 2018, even as the pressures that push people toward the cliff's edge continue to intensify.
Rental Market
1326,860 households had Section 21 no-fault evictions since 2019
Verified2Private renter households grew to 5 million in England 2022, 19% of tenure
Verified316% of private tenants faced rent increases over 10% in past year 2023
Verified41.6 million households in insecure private tenancies 2023
Directional5Eviction possession claims up 17% in Q1 2023 vs 2022
Single source645% of private landlords plan to sell or exit market due to regulations 2023
Verified7Average private rent void period 4.2 weeks in 2023
Verified828% of renters moved due to landlord issues in 2022 English Housing Survey
Verified9Rogue landlords fined £1.2 million total in 2022/23
Directional102.1 million children in private rented homes 2022
Single source11175,000 Section 21 evictions estimated 2023 pre-reform
Verified12Private rented sector now 20.7% all dwellings England 2023
Verified13950,000 households rent from individual landlords with 1 property 2023
Verified14Deposit disputes resolved 25,000 by TDS in 2022/23
Directional1512% renters received improvement notice for hazards 2023
Single source16Avg tenancy length 3.5 years private rent 2022 EHS
Verified1760% landlords unaware of Renters Reform Bill changes 2023
Verified18Rent controls needed as 1m face poverty per Shelter 2023
Verified1935% renters fear eviction for complaining 2023 survey
Directional20Corporate landlords manage 6% PRS but 18% evictions 2023
Single sourceRental Market Interpretation
England's private rental market, once a stable housing pillar, is now a precarious game of musical chairs where a swelling crowd of tenants, including over two million children, faces a shrinking supply of homes as rising rents, no-fault evictions, and a mass landlord exodus create a perfect storm of insecurity, leaving a third of renters too afraid to complain about the damp.
Rough Sleeping
1In 2023, 3,898 people were recorded rough sleeping on a single night in England, a 27% increase from 2022
Verified2London accounted for 62% of all rough sleepers counted in autumn 2023, totaling 2,430 individuals
Verified341% of rough sleepers in 2023 had a health condition or disability
Verified4Over the year to autumn 2023, rough sleeping rose by 10% outside London
Directional528% of rough sleepers were female in autumn 2023, up from previous years
Single source6In 2023, 1 in 5 rough sleepers were veterans
Verified7Rough sleeping costs the public purse £1 billion annually due to emergency services
Verified865% of rough sleepers reported domestic abuse as a factor in 2023
Verified9Youth rough sleeping (16-24) made up 22% of total in 2023
Directional10In West Midlands, rough sleeping increased by 91% year-on-year to autumn 2023
Single source11Rough sleeping up 65% since 2020 to 3,898 in autumn 2023
Verified121,041 rough sleepers in West Midlands autumn 2023, 91% rise
Verified1315% of rough sleepers under 25 years old in 2023
Verified14Mental health issues cited by 47% rough sleepers in 2023 snapshot
Directional15Female rough sleeping up 41% since 2022 to 1,082 in 2023
Single source1623% rough sleepers Black or Black British in autumn 2023
Verified17Emergency rough sleeping costs £500m yearly in A&E visits alone 2023
Verified18North West saw 32% rise in rough sleeping to 2023
Verified1912% of rough sleepers were previously in care system 2023
Directional20Single night counts miss 70% of rough sleepers per Shelter estimate 2023
Single sourceRough Sleeping Interpretation
England's streets are telling a harrowing, expensive, and increasingly diverse story, where a single-night snapshot of nearly 4,000 visible souls—disproportionately veterans, abuse survivors, and those with health conditions—masks a far larger crisis, with London bearing a grotesque majority and regions like the West Midlands seeing numbers nearly double in a year.
Temporary Accommodation
1In 2022/23, 105,790 households were living in temporary accommodation in England, marking an 8.4% increase from 97,610 the previous year
Verified2As of March 2023, 128,015 children were living in temporary accommodation in England, up 11% from the previous year
Verified3In London alone, 41,400 households were in temporary accommodation at the end of March 2023, representing 40% of England's total
Verified416.2% of households in temporary accommodation had been there for over 2 years as of 2022/23
Directional5Temporary accommodation costs local authorities £1.7 billion in 2022/23, averaging £16,500 per household
Single source624% of temporary accommodation placements were bed and breakfast hotels in 2022/23
Verified7In 2022/23, 75,710 households were owed a prevention duty, preventing homelessness for 42% of them
Verified868% of households in temporary accommodation included dependent children in 2022/23
Verified9Black households were 2.7 times more likely to be in temporary accommodation than white households in 2022/23
Directional10Average length of stay in temporary accommodation was 1.5 years for households with children in 2022
Single source11In 2022/23, 354,000 households approached councils threatening homelessness, up 14%
Verified1277,370 households accepted as homeless and owed relief duty in 2022/23
Verified13Placements in B&B increased 80% since 2019 to 16,730 in 2022/23
Verified14309,000 children in temp accomm March 2023, highest ever recorded
Directional15Costs of temp accomm rose to £1.74bn in 2022/23 from £1.4bn prior
Single source1619 local authorities placed over 50% households in B&B in 2022/23
Verified17Households with children in temp accomm up 15% to 72,000 in 2022/23
Verified18Average nightly B&B cost £152 in 2022/23
Verified191 in 47 London children in temp accomm end 2023
Directional20Temp accomm stays over 6 months for 40% households with kids 2023
Single sourceTemporary Accommodation Interpretation
England’s housing crisis is a high-cost game of musical chairs where the most vulnerable families, disproportionately from Black communities, are left circling in £1.7 billion worth of temporary rooms—often B&Bs—for an average of a year and a half while their childhoods become a statistic.
Sources & References
- Reference 1GOVgov.ukVisit source
- Reference 2ENGLANDengland.shelter.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 3SHELTERshelter.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 4ONSons.gov.ukVisit source
- Reference 5FCAfca.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 6TENANCYDEPOSITSCHEMEtenancydepositscheme.comVisit source
- Reference 7UKFINANCEukfinance.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 8EQUITYRELEASECOUNCILequityreleasecouncil.comVisit source