What is homelessness and how many people are homeless?
Homelessness is an isolating and destructive experience and homeless people are some of the most vulnerable and socially excluded in our society.
Homelessness is a problem throughout the UK, although it is more prevalent in urban centres, especially in London.
Homelessness is about more than rooflessness. A home is not just a physical space, it also has a legal and social dimension. A home provides roots, identity, a sense of belonging and a place of emotional wellbeing. Homelessness is about the loss of these. Homelessness is costly to the individual, society and the state.
Read more on definitions of homelessness and statistics on numbers of homeless people
Homelessness: causes and consequences
People become and stay homeless for a whole range of complex and overlapping reasons and solving homelessness is about much more than putting a roof over people's heads. Many homeless people face a number of issues in addition to, but often compounded by, their homelessness. The isolation and destructive nature of homelessness means that homeless people find it difficult to access the help they need.
