What is hidden homelessness?
Homelessness is bigger than rough sleeping
• The problem of homelessness is much bigger than rough sleeping. As the Government itself stated in a report of 2003 “the vast majority of homeless people are actually families or single people who are not literally sleeping on the streets but living with relatives and friends or in temporary accommodation”.
• The Government publishes regular homelessness statistics and in 2007 Local Authorities in England accepted 64,970 households (not people) as owed the main homelessness duty to be housed. But another 34,534 approached their local authority and whilst recognised as homeless they were not considered eligible for housing under the restrictive terms of the homelessness legislation.
Who are the hidden homeless?
• Official statistics underestimate total levels of homelessness - not everyone who is homeless and approaches their local authority receives support or accommodation, and many others are not aware of their entitlements or do not approach a local authority as they know they will not be helped. The majority of those excluded from official statistics are single – they are the ‘hidden homeless’.
• Crisis estimates that there are around 400,000 such ‘hidden homeless’ people in Great Britain. They exist out of sight in hostels and refuges, bed and breakfasts, squats, unsatisfactory or overcrowded accommodation, and on the floors or sofas of friends and families. The fact that the majority do not sleep rough means that they are all too often invisible to the public and are often not regarded as a priority for decision makers.
• There are estimated to be between 40,000 and 50,000 people in hostels and other supported accommodation for homeless people in England – some night-by-night shelters, others people may stay in for six months to two years or longer, but one in five hostel residents first set foot in a hostel over a decade ago.
