The Homelessness Monitor England: 2025 was commissioned by Crisis and led by Heriot-Watt. This is part of the Homelessness Monitor series, which provides an independent analysis of the homelessness impacts of recent economic and policy developments across Great Britain.  

This twelfth England-focused Monitor analyses recent trends in homelessness and presents the current estimate of the number of households experiencing the worst forms of homelessness in England. On the eve of the publication of the Government’s strategy for ending homelessness, the Monitor re-iterates the urgent need for change and lays out the policy interventions projected to lead to reductions in homelessness.  

Key findings

The findings of the Homelessness Monitor England draw on a survey of local authorities, interviews with key informants in the public, academic and voluntary sectors, and a statistical modelling exercise that estimates levels of 'core' homelessness and projects trends in these forms of homelessness into the future.   

In the context of economic challenges, rising housing costs, and shortfalls between housing benefit and private rents, homelessness in England has continued to rise. The total number of households experiencing the worst forms of homelessness (‘core’ homelessness, which includes rough sleeping, sofa surfing, and staying in hostels, refuges, or unsuitable temporary accommodation) now stands at just under 300,000. The number of households assessed by local authorities to be homeless or at risk of homelessness (‘statutory’ homelessness), wider use of temporary accommodation, and official estimates of rough sleeping have also all risen in 2024 compared to the previous year.  

While demand for homelessness services has risen, the majority local authorities report that it’s become harder to access both social housing and private tenancies for households facing homelessness. Local authorities describe struggling to meet their duties to house people experiencing homelessness, particularly those with complex needs. 

If current policies continue, core homelessness will continue to rise. However, a package of policy reforms is projected to not only stop the rise in homelessness, but see levels falling in as little as two years. The policy interventions projected to have the largest longer-term impact on reducing homelessness are expanding Housing First service provision, re-basing Local Housing Allowance so that housing benefit covers the bottom 30% of rents, and allocating an appropriate share of social tenancies to households facing homelessness. 

When asked about their priorities for the upcoming Government strategy for ending homelessness, local authorities were clear that the strategy should strengthen homelessness prevention, address temporary accommodation challenges, deliver new housing supply suitable for the needs of households experiencing homelessness, and be truly cross-governmental, involving wider government departments and other public services in efforts to prevent and relieve homelessness. 

Click on the PDFs below to read the executive summary or the full report. 

 

Reference:  

Watts-Cobbe, B., Bramley, G., Pawson, H., Young, G., Sims, R., McMordie, L., Fitzpatrick, S. (2025) The Homelessness Monitor: England 2025. London: Crisis.