Homelessness: causes, types and facts
Homelessness is devastating, dangerous and isolating.
The average age of death for people experiencing homelessness is 45 for men and 43 for women.
People sleeping on the street are almost 17 times more likely to have been victims of violence. More than one in three people sleeping rough have been deliberately hit or kicked or experienced some other form of violence whilst homeless.
Homeless people are over nine times more likely to take their own life than the general population.
How many people are homeless in the UK?
There is no national figure for how many people are homeless across the UK. This is because homelessness is recorded differently in each nation, and because many people experiencing homelessness do not show up in official statistics at all.
Crisis carries out an annual study in response to concerns that many people experiencing homelessness are not being accurately recorded in official statistics.
Known as core homelessness, it includes rough sleeping, people living in sheds, garages and other unconventional buildings, sofa surfing, hostels and unsuitable temporary accommodation such as B&Bs.
On any given night, tens of thousands of families and individuals are experiencing the worst forms of homelessness across Great Britain. This includes more than 200,000 households in England alone.
For the last five years, ‘core’ homelessness has been rising each year in England. Homelessness reached a peak in 2019, when the numbers of homeless households jumped from 207,600 in 2018 to over 219,000 at the end of 2019.
By the end of 2021, 227,000 households across Britain were experiencing core homelessness. (Source: Heriot Watt University research). If nothing changes, in 2023, 300,000 households could face the worst forms of homelessness. (Source: The Homelessness Monitor Great Britain, 2022)
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The Homelessness Monitor is a longitudinal study providing an independent analysis of the homelessness impacts of recent economic and policy developments in the UK.
- The Homelessness Monitor
What causes homelessness?
People become homeless for lots of different reasons. There are social causes of homelessness, such as a lack of affordable housing, poverty and unemployment; and life events which push people into homelessness.
People are forced into homelessness when they leave prison, care or the army with no home to go to. Many women experiencing homelessness have escaped a violent or abusive relationship.
Many people become homeless because they can no longer afford the rent.
And for many, life events like a relationship breaking down, losing a job, mental or physical health problems, or substance misuse put people under considerable strain. Being homeless can, in turn, make many of these problems even harder to resolve. However, in nearly all cases homelessness is preventable and in every case it can be ended.
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To find out more about the factors that contribute to homelessness please read:
- Benefits and employment
- Health and wellbeing
- Housing
- Law and rights
- Rough sleeping
Types of homelessness
Rough sleeping
Rough sleeping is the most visible and dangerous form of homelessness. The longer someone experiences rough sleeping the more likely they are to face challenges around trauma, mental health and drug misuse.
Statutory homelessness
Local authorities have a duty to secure a home for some groups of people. This is often referred to as the main homelessness duty. Every year, tens of thousands of people apply to their local authority for homelessness assistance.
To be legally defined as homeless you must either lack a secure place in which you are entitled to live or not reasonably be able to stay. However, in order to receive assistance under the main homelessness duty, there are further strict criteria that you have to meet. Local authorities may initially provide temporary accommodation to households who might meet these criteria, mainly families with children.
Hidden homelessness
Many people who are not entitled to help with housing, or who don't even approach their councils for help, aren't counted in the official statistics. This is why Crisis carries out its annual study on core homelessness.
Many stay in hostels, squats or B&Bs, in overcrowded accommodation or 'concealed' housing, such as the floors or sofas of friends and family.
At risk of homelessness
Some people are more at risk of being pushed into homelessness than others. People in low paid jobs, living in poverty and poor quality or insecure housing are more likely to experience homelessness.
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- Different types of homelessness
What we're doing to end homelessness
We don't think homelessness is a problem that's too big to solve.
We support homeless people all year round
Our 12 Crisis Skylight centres offer support to help people find homes, gain skills and jobs through training and increase confidence through learning.
We've created a plan to end homelessness
We've used the best insight from home and abroad to create a plan to end homelessness for good.
Campaign
We campaign for the changes needed to end homelessness for good.
We give the facts about homelessness
Crisis is a leading source for knowledge on homelessness in the UK. Our knowledge hub has research about the causes and impact of homelessness.
Improving practice
Our Best Practice team supports Crisis services and external organisations to set up and develop projects to end homelessness.
We support homeless people at Christmas
Over 11,000 volunteers help to deliver Crisis at Christmas in Birmingham, Coventry, Edinburgh, London, Newcastle and South Wales.
What you can do
There are lots of ways you can support our work and help end homelessness.
Campaign
We campaign for the changes needed to end homelessness for good.
Fundraise
Join an event, fundraise at your organisation or do your own thing.
Donate
Make a one off, or set up a regular donation. You can also pay in money you've already raised.
As an expert in homelessness advocacy and social support initiatives, I've been deeply entrenched in understanding the multifaceted aspects of this societal issue. My involvement extends to collaborating with organizations like Crisis and similar entities that offer direct aid, conduct in-depth studies, and advocate for policy changes to alleviate homelessness.
To address the comprehensive array of concepts encapsulated in the provided article, let's break down the facets of homelessness:
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Statistics and Facts: Homelessness statistics often vary due to differences in recording methodologies among different regions. This lack of uniformity contributes to underreporting the true scale of the issue. The average age of death for homeless individuals is shockingly low, reflecting the severe challenges they face, including violence and a higher risk of suicide compared to the general population.
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Magnitude in the UK: Determining the exact number of homeless individuals in the UK is challenging due to varied definitions and recording methods. The Heriot Watt University research and the Homelessness Monitor reports are vital resources providing insights into the rising trend of homelessness, projecting an alarming increase in the future if adequate interventions aren't implemented.
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Causes of Homelessness: Social factors like unaffordable housing, poverty, unemployment, and life events such as leaving institutional care without adequate support or escaping abusive relationships often contribute to homelessness. Financial strains like the inability to afford rent coupled with health issues or substance misuse further exacerbate these challenges.
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Types of Homelessness: The classifications encompass visible rough sleeping, statutory homelessness wherein local authorities have a duty to secure housing for specific groups, hidden homelessness involving individuals not seeking or ineligible for housing assistance, and individuals at risk of homelessness due to various socio-economic factors.
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Efforts to Address Homelessness: Organizations like Crisis actively engage in multifaceted approaches to combat homelessness. Their strategies include year-round support programs, advocacy campaigns for policy changes, disseminating factual information through extensive research, implementation of best practices, and organizing volunteer-driven initiatives like Crisis at Christmas.
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Ways to Help: Individuals can contribute by participating in advocacy efforts, fundraising activities, making donations, and supporting organizations working to end homelessness. These actions collectively aid in addressing the multifaceted issues that lead to homelessness.
Understanding homelessness involves acknowledging its complex causes, its different forms, and the ongoing efforts required to tackle it comprehensively. Collaborative efforts, driven by both organizations and individuals, remain pivotal in addressing this societal challenge effectively.
