UK Sees 8 Percent Surge in Homelessness

(MENAFN) More than 382,000 individuals across Britain will enter the Christmas season without stable housing, new data from Shelter reveals, as the housing charity sounds the alarm on escalating winter vulnerabilities.

The charitable organization's latest research indicates homelessness has climbed 8% over the past year, with "1 in every 153 people now either sleeping rough or living in temporary accommodation."

Shelter attributes the dramatic spike to a critical deficit in social housing stock, skyrocketing private rental costs, and the prolonged housing benefit freeze that has left low-income renters increasingly vulnerable.

A staggering 350,000 people—predominantly families with children—currently reside in temporary accommodation facilities, marking an unprecedented high. Meanwhile, rough sleeping has intensified sharply, with at least 4,667 individuals without shelter on any given night, representing a 20% year-over-year surge.

The charity highlighted that countless households remain trapped in substandard emergency housing for extended periods, frequently relocated far from employment opportunities, educational institutions, and community support systems.

While London continues to experience the most severe impact, significant spikes have emerged across the North West, Yorkshire, and the West Midlands regions.

Shelter is pressing government officials to lift the housing benefit freeze, ensuring payments cover at minimum the lowest third of rental prices—a measure the organization identifies as among the few rapid-response interventions capable of halting further displacement.

Shelter's chief executive, Sarah Elliott, issued a statement Thursday describing a "brutal winter" confronting thousands. She appealed to the public for contributions to the charity's winter campaign, which finances helplines, legal counsel, and direct assistance programs for individuals confronting homelessness.

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