People who are squatting and who are doing so because they have no alternative form of accommodation.

The accommodation is insecure because such people have no legal rights to stay in their accommodation. Only those who are squatting because they have no alternative should be included as people who are squatting voluntarily are doing so out of choice.

High.  Squatters would be classified as homeless since they have no place where they are legally entitled to occupy. But the local authority would only have a duty to provide them with accommodation if they have children, are pregnant or vulnerable.

None

None

10,000 people at most.  However, as there is no data available to distinguish between those squatting voluntarily and those squatting because they have no alternative, it is conservatively none of these people should be included in the estimates of hidden homelessness. 

There is no obvious data source. Data is available from local authorities on the extent of illegal occupation of their properties, but this can give only an inadequate indication of the extent of the issue. Estimates of Single Homelessness (1996) gave an estimate of 9,600 for England in 1995.

No data is available on the proportion of squatters who are there because they have no alternative.

Estimates of Young Single Homelessness, London Research Centre 1995

Low - the estimate is a) out-of-date and b) includes voluntary squatters.

Travellers are another group that potentially could have been included here.  Whilst some of these could be considered to be legally homeless, since they have parked on unauthorised land (an estimated 100 caravans), the view has been taken that many would not consider themselves to be homeless but, rather, that they have made a lifestyle choice.