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Crisis Reports Record Surge in England’s Worst Homelessness to 299,100 Households

The charity is urging a pre-Budget rise to housing benefit after linking the spike to rents outpacing support.

Overview

  • Rough sleeping has increased by about 20% since 2022 to more than 15,000 people, alongside widespread use of unsafe temporary accommodation.
  • Seventy percent of councils report more residents seeking homelessness support, with the biggest rises in London and northern England.
  • Crisis identifies inflation, rising private rents and evictions, and a decline in social rented lettings as the main drivers of the increase.
  • Homelessness linked to discharge from hospitals and prisons rose 22% in the past year, and cases from evictions out of asylum accommodation rose 37%.
  • The government cites over £1 billion for homelessness services, a cross-government strategy and £39 billion for affordable and social housing, as Crisis readies a plan to buy and let homes to its clients.