Most Brits don't realise you can be homeless without sleeping rough

Think homelessness and most Brits are likely to picture someone sleeping rough on the streets.

But that’s not the reality for most people experiencing homelessness in the UK.

A new poll from Centre for Homelessness Impact (CHI) and Ipsos found that Brits are still largely skewed by a focus on rough sleeping with more than half of the population unaware of other types of homelessness.

People living in hostels, temporary accommodation or B&Bs are also considered homeless. As are adults who are squatting or ‘sofa surf’ while living with friends or relatives in so-called ‘hidden homelessness’.

But 54% of the 2,142 Brits quizzed in the poll believed more people are experiencing street homelessness than hidden homelessness. Only 22% knew this was false, as statistics make plainly clear.

To use England as an example, the most recent rough sleeping snapshot found 3,898 were sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2023. The most recent London Chain statistics counted 4,612 people on the streets in the English capital between October and December last year.

But more than 90,000 households asked councils for support between April and June last year – the most recent official statutory homelessness figures – while a record-high 123,000 households were in temporary accommodation, including around 160,000 children.

Meanwhile, it is not known how many people may be experiencing hidden homelessness as they do not appear on official statistics.

Ligia Teixeira, chief executive of the CHI, said: “It’s clear that many people continue to think of homelessness largely in terms of rough sleeping rather than the many different forms of homelessness that people experience, including record numbers of families with children.

“We must continue to make the case for ending all types of homelessness and redirecting resources from emergency support to prevention.”

The poll, which is the latest in CHI’s efforts to assess attitudes towards homelessness, found almost three-quarters of people were aware that more households than ever before are living in temporary accommodation. But 20% of people thought this was not the case.

The poll also showed that people see emergency responses as making a great deal or fair amount of difference rather than investing in policies to prevent homelessness. 

Respondents were shown a list of actions suggested as ‘ways of addressing homelessness in the UK’ and asked to indicate how much of a difference, if any, they felt each would make in terms of reducing the amount of homelessness in the UK. 

Improving access to safe accommodation such as refuges and safe houses for people escaping domestic abuse’ were seen as impactful by 84%. A similar proportion recognised the contribution made by providing emergency shelters and hostels for people experiencing homelessness.  

However, policies geared towards prevention are also seen as attractive. 

A total of 82% considered assistance to people leaving hospital, prison or the care system as making a great deal or a fair amount of difference.

Only 9% disagreed with the statement that: “We should invest more money in preventing people becoming homeless rather than in services to help those who are already homeless”. Although a large proportion, 35%, were unsure or said they didn’t know.

The poll also showed support for making decisions about homelessness based on evidence. CIH chief executive Teixeira, who has advocated for the approach, said the findings were “heartening”.

A total of 61% said decisions should be based on evidence and only 12% said action should be taken based on instinct of what seems right. This is 4% higher than the previous poll in 2022, when 57% said decisions should be made on evidence of what works. 

Ben Marshall, research director at Ipsos, said: “Our latest survey for the Centre for Homelessness Impact finds that while people tend to lack confidence in the prospects for improvement on homelessness, they are positive about the potential impact of a range of actions including ‘emergency’, structural and preventative interventions.

“It also shows, again, that people’s positivity about action on homelessness will likely be bolstered by use of evidence of what works plus the lived experience of people experiencing homelessness as well as an appreciation of the costs involved.”

The poll showed a strong sense that “as a society, we do not pay enough attention to homelessness” – 70% agreed with that statement. 

Meanwhile, over half believed homelessness affects society as a whole – more than double the 24% who see it as solely impacting those experiencing it.

Around three-quarters of Brits agreed with the view that: “poverty is at the root of many of the problems that can lead to homelessness.”

Big Issue has long called for a prevention-based approach to tackling homelessness and wider poverty. Big Issue founder Lord John Bird recently introduced a private member’s bill to the House of Lords calling for the government to set up a Ministry of Poverty Prevention.

Labour, themselves, have also been talking up a shift towards prevention in tackling homelessness in recent months as well as announcing £1bn would be spent on the issue over the next year.

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