Overview
- Shelter counts 382,618 people homeless across England this Christmas, including 175,025 children.
- A record 350,480 people are in temporary accommodation, including 84,240 families, with average stays nearing three years.
- Homelessness rose 8% year on year to June nationally and 5% in the South West, according to the charity’s analysis of official data.
- Bristol records the South West’s highest rate at one in 113 residents, while Hull has 656 people homeless and the East Riding 486, mostly in temporary housing.
- Ministers set out a cross‑government strategy funded with £3.5bn over three years to cut long‑term rough sleeping and end unlawful B&B stays over six weeks, as Shelter urges unfreezing housing benefit and faster delivery of social homes.