Record numbers of people are living in temporary accommodation in England, according to the UK government’s latest reported figures. Statistics on statutory homelessness show that in March 2023, 104,510 households – including over 131,000 children – were living in hotels, hostels, B&Bs and the like.
These figures are the result of multiple crises. There is an insufficient supply of available and affordable housing in the UK, with more than 1.2 million households on social housing waiting lists in England alone. At the same time, there has been a sustained fall in social housing homes being built (39,562 in 2010 compared with 7,644 in 2022).
Government data also shows that the private rented sector has nearly doubled in size since 2020. It is now the second biggest tenure after owner occupation. This means that what happens in the private rented sector is affecting proportionally more and more of the population – and hits younger people particularly hard.
