Shelter

Shelter Press Release - 25 June 2026

40% of workers suffer sleepless nights over housing cost worries new research from Shelter reveals. Two in five (40%) working people in England say they’ve been kept awake at night in the last six months worrying about how they will afford essential housing costs, according to new research by Savanta for Shelter and HSBC UK. The findings highlight the impact this pressure can have on wellbeing. More than half (53%) of working people in England - around 15 million people - say the cost of housing has made them feel anxious in the last six months. The research also highlights the significant trade-offs people are having to make to keep up with rising housing costs, amid inflation, a tough economic outlook, and the lack of genuinely affordable homes across the country.

In the last six months, among working adults paying housing costs in England:

• One in three (32%) have had to cut back on food and groceries to afford housing costs

• One in four (24%) have had to cut back on heating their home

• A further 16% have had to sell possessions to meet their housing costs

Despite these challenges, the research points to a clear opportunity for more people to access help earlier: over a quarter (28%) of working people said they did not know where to turn for support or advice when it comes to managing their housing costs. This is why Shelter and HSBC UK are renewing their partnership for a further two years, working together to make it easier for people to identify and access trusted, specialist help. This continued partnership strengthens their shared commitment to helping people across England access expert housing advice early, when it can make the biggest difference. HSBC UK will continue to fund Shelter’s vital services, including its emergency helpline and webchat, alongside in-person advice hubs across the country — helping ensure more people can get the right support at the right time.

Lisa, 56, is a special needs teacher and singer-songwriter living in Woking, Surrey, with her husband and four adult children. She also cares for her eldest son, who is autistic. She contacted Shelter after facing eviction from her family home. Through Shelter’s Webchat and Helpline Plus, Lisa received urgent legal advice, which helped her build a sustainable budget and affordable repayment plan, and prepared her defence for court. At the hearing, the judge accepted the plan and granted a suspended possession order, allowing Lisa and her family to remain in their home. Lisa said: “I was at breaking point. I was having panic attacks, struggling to sleep, and feeling like I was failing my children. I genuinely couldn’t see a way out and I felt completely alone with it all.

“When I contacted Shelter, I expected to be told there was nothing that could be done. Instead, they listened, helped me work out what I could realistically afford, and supported me through court. Having someone finally say ‘we can help’ made all the difference — it meant I wasn’t fighting it on my own anymore, and it gave me the chance to keep my home and keep my family together.”

Shelter’s Emergency Helpline Manager, Nadeem Khan, said: “This new research shows the impact of the housing emergency on people’s mental health across the country, as millions feel the effects of sleepless nights spent worrying about how to afford essential housing costs.

“Our frontline teams hear from younger people, older people and parents every day who are under immense strain, grappling with impossible trade-offs to make ends meet

“It can make a big difference if people reach out before they hit crisis point. At Shelter we can help with expert advice on things like managing arrears and creating affordable household budgets, to support on negotiating with landlords, accessing benefits and preventing eviction. It is through partnerships like ours with HSBC UK that we can continue to be there for those worst affected by the housing emergency, and help more people find and keep a safe, stable home.”

HSBC UK Head of Sustainability and Societal Purpose, Natalie Gregoire-Skeete, said: "We recognise that poor financial resilience and housing insecurity often go hand in hand. We are determined to support Shelter's vital work, ensuring that those most at risk can access practical advice and vital support in moments of crisis. At HSBC UK we are committed to supporting customers that may be struggling and have a comprehensive range of support in place. As always, we urge any of our customers to speak to us if they are worried or need help or support. We are always ready to talk, listen to individual circumstances, and offer tailored support. Through our renewed partnership, HSBC UK will continue to back Shelter's community outreach and emergency services, helping people navigate these challenges and find greater stability."

Get help: Free expert advice on housing and financial resilience available

Shelter and HSBC UK are urging anyone who is feeling the negative impact of housing costs to seek expert support as soon as possible by visiting shelter.org.uk/get_help, or to reach out to their bank for broader financial resilience support.

Shelter Press Release - 26 February 2026

The government has today released two separate sets of statistics that underscore the deepening housing emergency in England.

The latest annual snapshot figures of the number of people sleeping rough in England in 2025 shows*:

4,793 people were recorded sleeping rough on a given night, a 3% increase in a year.

The number of people sleeping rough in England has more than doubled since 2010 when the data started being collected – up 171%.

*The rough sleeping figures are likely to be an underestimate, as the snapshot can miss people, particularly women and others who can be too afraid to bed down on the street.

The government has also released new statutory homelessness figures that shows the housing emergency worsening across the country. These figures reveal:

175,990 children are homeless in damaging temporary accommodation – up 12,020 (7%) in a year, the highest figure since records began.

The number of children now homeless in temporary accommodation is nearly the equivalent of the number of children in Leeds.

134,760 households in England are homeless in temporary accommodation – up 7% in a year and another record high figure.

Three in ten households (41,250) have been moved to temporary accommodation outside their home area – a 7% rise in a year.

With so few social homes available, and private rents hitting record highs, these figures show increasing numbers of people stuck homeless in temporary accommodation or on the streets.

Shelter welcomes today’s announcement that the government will invest £50million in halving long-term rough sleeping. But with rough sleeping accounting for just 1% of overall recorded homelessness in England, the charity warns that measures like this alone will not be enough to end the housing emergency.

Shelter is urging the government to go further by getting councils building the vital social homes we need and unfreezing local housing allowance, to quickly help families out of damaging temporary accommodation.

Sarah Elliott, Chief Executive of Shelter, said:“It is a national scandal that the number of people homeless in England is now the highest since records began. The government is absolutely right to recognise the problem, but all the support in the world won’t help people into a home if there simply aren’t any available. We need bold action to end the housing emergency for good.

”Tonight thousands of people will be sleeping out, cold and alone, in a flimsy tent or doorway. Meanwhile, far too many children will lie awake, exhausted, after being uprooted from their homes and pushed into often cramped and grotty temporary accommodation. In modern day England, there is no need for thousands of people to endure homelessness, when the government has the power to make it a thing of the past.

“The record numbers currently homeless simply cannot wait any longer for a secure home. Rather than focusing on quick fixes, the government must tackle the problem at its root. It must deliver at least 90,000 social rent homes a year for 10 years, and urgently unfreeze housing benefit to end homelessness.”

Anyone who is facing homelessness can get free and expert advice from Shelter by visiting www.shelter.org.uk/get_help

Shelter Press Release - 11 December 2025

With the government’s Homelessness Strategy imminent, new research from Shelter reveals 382,618 people in England - including 175,025 children - will spend this Christmas without a home.

The number of people officially recorded as homeless has risen by a shocking 8% in one year, equivalent to 28,602 people. Shelter’s analysis, which is the most comprehensive overview of recorded homelessness by local authority area, shows 1 in every 153 people in England are now experiencing homelessness. This reflects sharp rises in the number of people sleeping rough and record numbers of families with children stuck in temporary accommodation.

The charity’s homelessness total, which combines official homelessness figures and responses to Freedom of Information requests, breaks down as follows:

350,480 people are homeless in temporary accommodation (TA), most of whom are families with children. This is the highest number of people in TA since records began

At least 4,667 people are sleeping rough on any given night – a 20% increase in one year

An estimated 16,294 additional single people are in hostels or other homeless accommodation

At least 4,031 people are in accommodation provided by social services

According to Shelter, the dire shortage of social homes, unaffordable private rents and the freeze on housing benefit are pushing more people into homelessness and trapping them there.

Over 90% of the people recorded as homeless – including 84,240 families – are in temporary accommodation. Temporary accommodation is only intended for short-term use, but the lack of alternative options means people are increasingly stuck in it for much longer.

The charity’s research shows households spend an average of nearly three years in temporary accommodation while attempting to access a stable home. Conditions in temporary accommodation are often terrible. Entire families may be crammed into one room in a rundown B&B, having to share beds, with inadequate or non-existent cooking and laundry facilities. Others may be placed in grotty bedsits that are miles away from their children’s school, their work, and crucial support networks – completely destabilising their lives.

For those not entitled to temporary accommodation, sofa-surfing, a bed in a night shelter or sleeping rough may be their only option.

While over half of the people who are homeless in England live in London, Shelter’s data makes clear the housing emergency is not limited to the capital. Stark rises in homelessness have been seen across much of the country:

In the North West, the number of people recorded as homeless has grown by 15% in the last year, and in Yorkshire and the Humber and the West Midlands it has risen by 11%.

Newham is the local authority with the highest rate of homelessness in the country with 1 in 18 people homeless. But outside of London, Slough is the worst affected local authority, with 1 in 43 people homeless, followed by Hastings with 1 in 60 homeless and Manchester and Birmingham where 1 in every 61 people are homeless.

Until more genuinely affordable social housing is built, one of the only ways people can escape homelessness is if they are able to afford private rents. But this is almost impossible when housing benefit is frozen and so far out of sync with current rents. This is why Shelter is urging the government to immediately help people who are currently homeless by unfreezing housing benefit so that it covers at least the bottom third of private rents.

While the charity campaigns for change, its free emergency helpline, webchat, online advice, and network of face-to-face services will continue providing direct support to thousands of people facing homelessness this winter and beyond. By donating to Shelter’s urgent winter appeal, the public can help to connect someone experiencing homelessness with a trained adviser who will provide support now, and in the tough months ahead. Search www.shelter.org.uk/winterappeal.

Sarah Elliott, Chief Executive Officer at Shelter, said: “It’s unthinkable that as winter sets in, more than 382,000 people are without a safe place to call home. Thousands of people are bracing themselves for their next freezing night on the street, while over 84,000 families are facing up to the grim reality of spending Christmas in damaging temporary accommodation.

“Every day at Shelter we hear from parents who are terrified of waiting out another winter in appalling temporary accommodation. Cut off from family and friends in a bleak emergency B&B that’s miles away, they watch as their children’s breath hangs in the air and mould climbs the walls.

“We urge the government to help the families who are homeless right now by ending the freeze on housing benefit. This would immediately lift thousands of children out of temporary accommodation and into a home. While we campaign for change, our frontline services will continue providing direct support to those facing homelessness this winter and beyond. The public can join us in this fight by donating to our urgent appeal today.”

Elaine, 49, is a Disability Inclusion Consultant living in Haringey, North London. She has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and arthritis and is a carer for her 25-year-old autistic daughter. They have been homeless for nearly a decade. Their current temporary accommodation is freezing in winter and is falling into disrepair, with huge cracks in the walls and crumbling tiles. It is meant to be accessible, but the adaptations don't meet Elaine's needs.

Elaine said: “No one chooses to be homeless. I became homeless through a combination of factors. My dad died, my marriage broke down, and my landlord couldn’t meet my accessibility needs. My daughter was 17 and at college at the time. It was a massive shock to the system.

“The first property we were placed in had severe damp and there were steps to the kitchen and bathroom, so I was basically confined to the main bedroom for three years as I rely on a walking frame at home. It wasn’t suitable for my complex medical needs, but we had no choice.

“The council only moved us when mushrooms started growing from the walls. It affected my breathing, and my daughter developed rashes from the mould growing in her mattress. The place we are in now is just as bad as the last. The house is collapsing so the tiles are shifting and there are huge cracks in the walls.

“Living in temporary accommodation is an endless waiting game. It was supposed to be for a few weeks, but it’s been over 8 years now. We’re still living out of boxes. We could be told to move at any time. We’re living in limbo and it’s awful.”

Georgia, 36, is an administrator for a home care service, living in Norfolk. She and her 7-year-old son became homeless in May after a marriage breakdown. Following legal advice from Shelter, Georgia and her son have moved into a stable and secure social home just in time for Christmas.

Georgia said: “We used to live in a normal family home with a garden in Norfolk. I only found out we were being evicted two days before the bailiffs arrived. It was such a shock. The council found us a room in a B&B. It had a tiny little kitchen area, two single beds, a toilet and a bath all in one room. I told my boy we were staying there until we got our forever home. He was excited at first. He thought it was a holiday, but we ended up staying there for five months.

“Living in temporary accommodation impacted everything. We had to rehome our cat and dog and I had to leave my job due to all the upheaval. The place was 45 minutes away from my son’s school. He was really tired and unsettled. It severely impacted my mental health. I barely left the room for months. I was crying every day.

“While I was counting down the days until we had somewhere stable to live, the council declared us intentionally homeless. It was then that I approached Shelter for help. We were in that room for a while longer, moved to a shared property for two weeks, then a flat for another fortnight. Shelter’s legal advice helped me successfully appeal the council’s unfair decision.

“We have now moved into a permanent social home. We are really happy. My son’s toys were the first things to come out of storage. It’s amazing to see him relax and play again. It was all so uncertain before. We could be told to go with barely any notice. Now I know my son is safe and this home is ours.”