Over 270,000 people homeless in England on any given night: Report

Over 270,000 people in England were estimated to be homeless on any given night in 2022 amid cost-of-living crisis, alarming new research reveals.

The bleak figures, which include 123,000 children, come as the charity Shelter braces for a sharp rise in homelessness over the next 12 months.

As the cost-of-living crisis bites, "thousands of people are not just facing a winter of worry, they are at risk of losing the roof over their head", they warned.

According to detailed analysis of homelessness figures, around 2,400 people were sleeping rough on any given night in 2022.

A further 15,000 were in hostels or supported accommodation while nearly a quarter of a million were living in temporary properties.

The organisation said the total - 271,000 individuals - is equivalent to around one in every 208 people in England.

The estimates have been reached using Government statistics, Freedom of Information requests and data from the membership charity Homeless Link.

In a damning verdict of the Tories' tenure in office, Shelter also claimed the number of people living in temporary accommodation has risen by an "alarming" 74% in the last decade.

The charity argues the hike has been driven by a chronic shortage of social homes and an "over-reliance on grossly expensive and unstable private renting".

Polling released by the charity also shows that almost two-thirds of people - 63% - say that living in temporary accommodation has had a negative impact on their mental health.

Shelter's Chief Executive Polly Neate said: "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.

Source: The Mirror

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