Homelessness is a massive problem in the UK. In total, it is expected that the number of people who are homeless in the UK is approximately 300,000 households, almost 1 in 100. Homelessness does not just include those who you see on the streets – rough sleeping – but also those in temporary accommodation, sofa surfing or in unsafe housing.
In this article, we will explore some common questions around homelessness, including ‘What is homelessness?’, ‘what does it mean to be homeless?’ and ‘what causes homelessness?’, as well as explaining the ‘different types of homelessness’ and ‘what we are doing to help.’
What is homelessness?
Homelessness is when a person or a family do not have stable or suitable housing, when they don’t have anywhere safe to call home. They might physically not have anywhere to sleep, otherwise known as street homeless or rough sleeping, or they may have to move every few days or weeks, or only have very unsafe or unsuitable housing (such as in a crowded hostel or living with abusive people).
What are the different types of homelessness?
There are a number of different types of homelessness – it’s not just the people you may see on the street. In fact, there are three other types of homelessness.
Rough sleeping
Rough sleeping is when people physically do not have a bed to go to, or a roof over their heads. People may sleep in the open air, such as on streets, in parks, doorways, bus shelters or tents. Or people may sleep in places unfit for human habitation like car parks or stairwells, cars, barns, sheds, stations, 24hr cafes or on buses or trains. In London, 4,118 people were sleeping rough from January to March 2024, a 33% rise on the year before.
Hidden homeless
Hidden homelessness is the term given when someone doesn’t have a safe place to call their home, but they are not known by any authority. These people stay under the radar and do not get counted in official statistics, which is why the true number of people who are homeless could be much higher than statistics say. Examples of hidden homelessness include people who stay with friends and family for short periods – known as ‘sofa surfing’, people who are in unfit or overcrowded accommodation, or people who stay in hostels, B&Bs and hotels. It also includes people who squat.
Temporary accommodation
Temporary accommodation is where people are placed to stay, usually by a local authority, who would otherwise be street homeless. Types of accommodation include: night or winter shelters, hotels, B&Bs, hostels, refuges, private rented or social housing. People can be in temporary accommodation for unspecified periods of time, from days and weeks to months and years.
There are huge numbers of people living in uncertainty in short-term accommodation, not knowing where they will be in a few months. Often the accommodation is unsafe or unsuitable, for instance young women placed in adult hostels, large families staying in flats that are too small, or people with disabilities living in non-accessible housing. At the end of June 2022, there were 95,000 households in temporary accommodation, including 121,000 children.
Statutory homeless
Statutory homelessness is when someone is legally defined as homeless, and therefore their Local Authority has a duty to secure housing for them. To be legally defined as homeless, you must either lack a secure place to live or a reasonable place to stay. This means that you either do not have a stable, permanent place to sleep, or that the place you are staying in is not considered adequate. Most local authorities have other strict criteria that someone must meet before they are deemed ‘statutory homeless’.
Youth homelessness
Youth homelessness is defined as anyone aged 16-25 who is homeless. Young people typically experience homelessness in different ways; there is a lot of stigma around young homeless people, and living on the streets can be extremely dangerous, so they are more likely to be hidden homeless. This is why it is important to have services specifically designed for young people experiencing homelessness, like us here at New Horizon Youth Centre.
In 2022-2023, 136,000 young people went to their council as homeless. However, we know that at least half of people experiencing homelessness do not tell the council, so the true number could be double.
What causes homelessness?
The causes of homelessness are different for each individual, but are mostly due to social, political and economic structures present in the UK. Homelessness is totally preventable, because all people should be able to rely on getting decent support and housing from the state when they need it. Here are some of the causes below:
Political causes of homelessness
- Lack of social housing: In the UK there is a dearth of social housing, which means Local Authorities do not have enough houses to help people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. There are 1.3 million households on social housing waiting lists; which is why so many people are currently in temporary accommodation, or do not get helped at all.
- Uncontrolled rental sector: Rents in the UK, especially in cities like London, are spiralling because there is no state regulation of landlords increasing rent prices. This means that many people who may have been able to afford to live in the private rented sector previously are now no longer able to.
- Lack of state support: There is a lack of state support for people leaving care, prisons or refugee accommodation, meaning that these people are left to fend for themselves – often without any help or support from family.
Economic causes of homelessness
Social causes of homelessness
- Family or relationship breakdown: Conflicts, abuse, or irreconcilable differences within a family or relationship can lead to a sudden loss of housing stability, especially if there are no alternative housing arrangements or support network to rely on.
- Mental health or addiction issues: Individuals suffering from mental health conditions or substance abuse problems may struggle to maintain stable housing due to the challenges in managing daily responsibilities, securing employment, and maintaining relationships. These issues can lead to financial difficulties and an inability to afford rent or mortgage payments, further increasing the risk of homelessness.
What can be done about it?
Addressing the root causes of homelessness is really important, long term work that we are campaigning for, such as building more social homes and reducing poverty.
However, in the meantime, there is an acute crisis especially amongst young people who are becoming the new generation of people rough sleeping. Around 50% of those who are rough sleeping as adults were aged 25 or younger when they were first made homeless , so stopping the tide of youth homelessness is key to ending homelessness overall.
New Horizon Youth Centre is the only youth specific outreach service and day centre for young homeless people in London. We help those who we meet on the streets and who come into our day centre with rough sleeping and emergency support, housing advice and advocacy, access to physical and mental healthcare, jobs, education and training support, and youth work activities led by our excellent youth workers.
In 2023-2024 we worked with 1500 young Londoners to end their homelessness and ensure their potential has a home. Help us reach every young person in the Capital who needs us:
