Our hidden homeless

One in every 200 people in Britain find themselves with nowhere to call home, but is enough being done to tackle the problem?

- KARA O’NEILL, MISHAAL KHAN

When we think of being homeless, we might conjure images of people in sleeping bags, trying to stay warm in freezing shop doorways or on park benches. And while there are thousands currently sleeping rough, there’s another worrying number to comprehend.

A massive 270,000 people – known as the ‘hidden homeless’ – are living in hostels, temporary shelter or unsuitable and overcrowded accommodation. Heartbreakingly, 135,000 of these are children, and it’s estimated that 5,683 families are now residing in emergency B&Bs and hostels, crammed into tiny rooms with not enough beds or adequate facilities, and that figure is rising at a frightening rate, recently hitting a 12-year high. While these families might have a door to close or a mattress to sleep on, they certainly do not have a home, and are instead squashed into one room miles from their school, loved ones and jobs.

Worryingly, this isn’t a problem affecting the few – nearly three million people in England are one missed payday away from losing their home. Lack of social housing, expensive private rents, and welfare cuts are driving the crisis, according to Shelter, who are calling for urgent action.