Government Figures Show England Rough Sleeping Figures Reach Record High
February 26, 2026
26th February 2026
Official figures released today by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government show that the number of people sleeping rough on a single night in England in November 2025 rose to a record high of 4,793, compared to 4,667 for the same period last year. This is 42 more people than the record high in 2017 and represents a rise of 3% on last year. These figures come after more than a decade of sustained pressure on homelessness services.
The wider homelessness statistics published today also highlight the scale of the ongoing challenge. Record numbers of households remain in temporary accommodation, and many more are at risk of losing their homes due to affordability pressures and a shortage of secure, genuinely affordable housing.
Housing Justice, the national charity supporting faith and community responses to homelessness, said that today’s concerning figures should be seen as a wake-up call to the Government and wider homelessness sector that much more needs to be done to strengthen prevention efforts alongside supporting those already at crisis point.
Bonnie Williams, Chief Executive of Housing Justice, said:
“We are disappointed to see that the number of people being forced into rough sleeping around the country continues to rise. After years of growing numbers, we very much hope that this year will be a turning point. The underlying pressures that drive homelessness have not disappeared and while rough sleeping is the most visible form of homelessness, it is only part of the picture. The record numbers of households in temporary accommodation show just how many families are living in limbo.
“We welcome the Government’s new Homelessness Strategy, particularly its stronger emphasis on prevention and early intervention. Preventing people from reaching crisis point, improving pathways out of temporary accommodation, and strengthening partnership working across housing, health and local government will be essential if we are to see sustained change.
“The dedicated Ending Homelessness in Communities Funding is also a positive step. It has the potential to enable the voluntary, community and faith sector to play an even greater role in the solution providing compassionate, relational support that helps people move from crisis to stability, sustain tenancies, and rebuild fulfilling lives within their communities. We hope that this renewed focus on prevention and community-based solutions will mean that this time next year we see a significant and sustained reduction in rough sleeping.
“What we now need is continued collaboration between Government, local authorities and community organisations to ensure that progress is maintained and that homelessness becomes rarer, briefer and non-recurring.”
Ends
Notes to Editors:
Housing Justice brings together communities and finds solutions to homelessness by building personal connections, a sense of belonging, and creating justice in the housing system. We train and support volunteers to offer various accommodation options while building a network of local support. This includes providing personalised assistance to help individuals access relevant local services and address their other needs. Through compassionate, courageous, and collaborative action, we implement innovative solutions to tackle housing injustice, enhance the quality of housing, and elevate the voices and experiences of groups affected by housing injustice to both local and national governments.
The annual street count is a physical count of people sleeping rough in all local authorities in England and is the Government’s benchmark measure for progress towards its manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping within five years, but it is just part of the broader homelessness picture. For a rough sleeper to be included in the count, there are strict criteria, with the Government definition counting ‘people sleeping, or bedded down, in the open air (such as on the streets, or in doorways, parks or bus shelters). The figures do not take into consideration the increase among people applying to their Local Authority for housing, the record numbers of people in temporary accommodation, those using night shelter or other emergency accommodation services, or the hidden homeless who are sofa surfing, sleeping in cars or in buildings that are not designated for habitation (such as barns, sheds, car parks, derelict boats, stations, or ‘bashes’).
For further information or to arrange an interview with Bonnie Williams, Housing Justice CEO, please contact Housing Justice’s Head of Marketing , Communications and Fundraising, Jo Whitney, on [email protected]
