Official Statistics

Annex A: Support for people sleeping rough in England, 2021 [NOT OFFICIAL STATISTICS]

Updated 31 March 2022

Applies to England

1. Main findings

• Since March 2020, the government has launched a range of extra support which has helped to protect thousands of vulnerable people during the pandemic, including those sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough. This Management Information was initially put in place as part of that response.

• This information gives a fuller picture of the dynamic and seasonal nature of rough sleeping and is an important step towards driving better outcomes through increased data and transparency. The annual rough sleeping snapshot statistics remain our most reliable and official measure of rough sleeping.

• As at the end of December 2021, 1,780 people were estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night, 4,880 people were in emergency and short-term accommodation, and 40,240 people have moved into long-term accommodation since the pandemic began.

• The number of people in emergency and short-term accommodation, in England at the end of December, has fallen dramatically from the peak in May 2020 during the first national lockdown (down by 67%) and decreased by almost half compared to the same period last year (49%).

• Two-fifths (40%) of all people in emergency and short-term accommodation in December are in London.

• Most people (67% of total) in emergency and short-term are from the UK – in London less than half (41%) are from the UK.

• Over the last year, the lowest estimated number of people sleeping rough on single night was in February when there were 1,360 people, which also coincides with the highest number of people in emergency and short-term accommodation.

1.1 Introduction

Since March 2020, the government has launched a range of extra support for people sleeping rough during the pandemic, in addition to the support already being provided as part of the Rough Sleeping Initiative (RSI). On 23 March 2020 the government launched the ‘Everyone In’ support, whereby local authorities were asked to immediately house rough sleepers and those at risk of rough sleeping to protect their health and stop wider transmission of COVID-19. In July 2020, the government launched the Next Steps Accommodation Programme, which provided the financial resources to local authorities and their partners to prevent those accommodated during the pandemic from returning to the streets. Allocations for this fund were announced in September 2020 for the interim element and in October 2020 and February 2022 for the long-term element (the long-term element continued and is now known as the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme).

In November 2020, the government launched the Protect Programme, followed by the Protect Plus programme in January 2021 to help areas that needed additional support during the restrictions throughout the Winter. In December 2021, the government launched Protect and Vaccinate to help increase vaccine uptake among people who are homeless and sleeping rough and provide accommodation.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities have been collecting new management information about the support for people sleeping rough and those at risk of sleeping rough, since the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside the annual rough sleeping snapshot statistics. On average, 95% of areas provide a response each month and for those areas that do not provide data, imputed figures based on previous latest management information has been used.

This publication brings together and summarises previously published management information between May 2020 to January 2021 alongside new monthly information from February 2021 to December 2021. It includes figures on people sleeping rough on a single night, people sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough who have been provided emergency accommodation in response to pandemic, including the nationality of these people and people who have moved into settled accommodation or a supported housing pathway since the pandemic began.

This management information provides a more frequent although less robust estimate of people sleeping rough as it does not go through the same verification as the official statistics. However, this data gives a fuller picture of the dynamic and seasonal nature of rough sleeping and is an important step towards driving better outcomes through increased data and transparency.

The annual rough sleeping snapshot statistics, which provide a way of estimating the number of people sleeping rough across England on a single night in autumn and assess change over time is the most robust measure of rough sleeping given they are independently verified and are published in line with the Code of Practice for Statistics. These statistics provide information about the estimated number of people sleeping rough on a single night between 1 October and 30 November 2021 and some basic demographic details (i.e. age, gender, nationality).

The management information about the numbers of people in emergency and short-term accommodation can’t be directly compared to the statutory homelessness statistics. Not all people provided with emergency and short-term accommodation would have been owed a homelessness duty and therefore would not be included in the homelessness statistics.

1.2 Definitions

People sleeping rough

People sleeping rough are defined as about to bed down (sitting on/in or standing next to their bedding) or actually bedded down in the open air (such as on the street, in tents, doorways, parks, bus shelters or encampments). People in buildings or other places not designed to for habitation (such as stairwells, barns, sheds, car parks, cars, derelict boats, stations or “bashes” which are makeshift shelters often comprised of cardboard boxes). The definition does not include:

• People in hostels or shelters
• People in campsites or other sites used for recreational purposes or organised protest
• Squatters
• Travellers

This is the same definition as is used for the annual rough sleeping snapshot statistics.

Emergency and short-term accommodation

Emergency and short-term accommodation includes hotels, B&Bs, LA managed temporary accommodation, student halls and other accommodation that has been used to accommodate people sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough through ‘Everyone In’ and which would not otherwise have been available to them. It does not include placements in hostels or supported housing services that are usually available to people sleeping rough, except where such services have been used on an exceptional basis for people sleeping rough who are ineligible for homelessness support.

Settled accommodation

Settled accommodation is a tenancy of at least 6 months either in the private sector or a tenancy with a housing association or the council.

Supported housing pathway

Supported housing is any housing scheme where housing, support and sometimes care services are provided in one package depending on the individual needs of the person. Some of these housing schemes are long-term and are designed for people who will need ongoing support to be able to live independently. Others are short-term, designed to help people develop the emotional and practical skills needed to move into more mainstream housing. Collectively, and where move-on arrangements are included as part of this, these forms of housing can make up a Supported Housing pathway and people may move between these types of housing and mainstream housing as their needs change

2. National and regional findings

2.1 National

The management information shows there were an estimated 4,880 people in emergency and short-term accommodation in England, as at the end of December 2021. This is a decrease of 4,780 people or 49% on the same period last year, and a decrease of 9,730 people or 67% from its peak in May 2020, which coincides with the first national lockdown^{[footnote 1]}.

People will have left emergency and short-term accommodation either to go into long term accommodation, to be reconnected with friends or family or they may have been evicted or abandoned their accommodation, and in some cases may have returned to the streets.

The number of people estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in December 2021 was 1,780. This has increased by 40 people or 2% since the since the same period last year but decreased from its peak of 2,410 people in September 2021 by 630 people or 26%.

The highest number of people sleeping rough on a single night last year was in autumn 2021, which coincides with the official snapshot statistics and the most reliable estimate. There were 2,440 people estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2021.

Local authorities are advised to use the same approach as the annual rough sleeping single night snapshot for their monthly rough sleeping single night snapshot, as much as possible. The monthly single night snapshot is not independently verified to ensure the snapshot has been properly conducted and there is no requirement to involve independent partners, who are not commissioned by the local authority, unlike the official rough sleeping snapshot. The management information and official annual single night snapshots can be compared (and the autumn snapshot figures are included in the tables for this purpose) but the different methodologies need to be taken into account.

The number of people estimated to be in emergency and short-term accommodation in England, was up 590 people or 14% on previous month, where 4,290 people were estimated to be in emergency and short-term accommodation. At the same time, the estimated number of people sleeping rough on a single night in December in England is down by 440 or 20% on the previous month when 2,220 people were estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night. This coincides with the Protect and Vaccinate programme which was launched in December 2021 and encouraged local authorities to take further steps, where required, to accommodate and vaccinate those sleeping rough.

There were an estimated 40,240 people who have been moved into settled accommodation or a supported housing pathway since the pandemic began, in England as at the end of December 2021. This is an increase of 15,530 people or 63% compared to the same period last year. This reflects the continuing efforts to accommodate those sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of people estimated to have moved on from emergency accommodation into settled accommodation or a supported housing pathway since the pandemic began is up 790 people or 2% on the previous month. The number moved on in December this year is half of what it was compared to the same period last year. This slowing rate of move on coincides with a general pattern of lower numbers in emergency accommodation compared to the start of the pandemic.

Table 1: Number of people sleeping rough on a single night, in emergency & short-term accommodation and moved into settled accommodation or a supported housing pathway, in England, May 2020 to December 2021^{[footnote 2]}

Year	Month	Rough sleeping	% Change of previous month	Emergency accommodation	% Change on previous month	Move on (cumulative)	% Change on previous month
2020	May	-	-	14,610	-	-	-
	Sep	-	-	10,510	-	19,580	-
	Nov	-	-	9,780	-	23,140	-
	Dec	1,740	-	9,660	-1	24,710	7
2021	Jan	1,460	-16	11,200	16	26,130	6
	Feb	1,360	-7	11,570	3	27,860	7
	Mar	1,520	12	10,840	-6	29,730	7
	Apr	1,680	11	9,520	-12	31,470	6
	May	1,850	10	8,460	-11	33,020	5
	Jun	1,990	8	6,960	-18	34,410	4
	Jul	2,190	10	6,150	-12	35,510	3
	Aug	2,240	2	5,380	-13	36,660	3
	Sep	2,410	8	4,770	-11	37,670	3
	Oct	2,400	0	4,330	-9	38,550	2
	Nov	2,220	-8	4,290	-1	39,450	2
	Dec	1,780	-20	4,880	14	40,240	2
	Autumn (Oct – Nov)	2,440	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Figure 1: Number of people sleeping rough on a single night, in emergency & short-term accommodation, and people moved into settled accommodation or a supported housing pathway in England, May 2020 to December 2021

2.2 Regional

Nearly half (48%) of all people sleeping rough on a single night in December 2021, were from London and the South East - which is similar throughout the last year.

Two-fifths (40%) of all the estimated people in emergency and short-term accommodation, were from London as at the end of December 2021.

The North East of England was the region with both the lowest number of people estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night and the lowest number of estimated people in emergency and short-term accommodation as at the end of December 2021.

The North West has moved-on the most people into settled accommodation or supported housing since the pandemic began (7,100 or 18% of the total), closely followed by the London (6,670 or 17% of the total).

The North West has high numbers of estimated people moved into accommodation compared to other regions with similar levels of emergency and short-term accommodation and people sleeping rough.

The number of people being provided move-on accommodation may be influenced by a range of factors including the numbers in emergency and short-term accommodation, the number sleeping rough, the needs of the people needing accommodation and housing affordability pressures.

Figure 2: Percentage of total people sleeping rough on a single night, in emergency and short-term accommodation, and moved-into settled accommodation or a supported housing pathway since the pandemic began, as at end December 2021, by region

Table 2: Number of people estimated to be sleeping rough on single night, December 2020 to December 2021

Year	Month	England	Rest of England	London	East Midlands	East	North East	North West	South East	South West	West Midlands	Yorkshire & The Humber
2020	Dec	1,740	1,200	540	130	160	40	160	300	230	90	100
2021	Jan	1,460	1,040	420	110	140	40	130	250	180	100	90
	Feb	1,360	1,010	350	90	140	30	120	230	200	100	100
	Mar	1,520	1,100	420	100	140	30	140	250	230	110	100
	Apr	1,680	1,220	450	120	180	30	140	270	250	120	120
	May	1,850	1,330	520	110	190	40	130	290	300	130	150
	Jun	1,990	1,440	560	120	200	40	160	330	300	160	140
	Jul	2,190	1,640	560	120	230	70	210	400	280	160	180
	Aug	2,240	1,670	570	160	230	70	180	390	290	190	160
	Sep	2,410	1,780	630	160	230	50	190	450	360	190	150
	Oct	2,400	1,760	640	140	240	50	180	450	350	190	170
	Nov	2,220	1,560	670	130	200	40	180	370	320	170	140
	Dec	1,780	1,200	580	110	160	40	140	270	240	140	100
	Autumn (Oct – Nov)	2,440	1,800	640	180	240	50	200	450	330	190	170

Table 3: Number of people in emergency & short-term accommodation by region, May 2020 to December 2021

Year	Month	England	Rest of England	London	East Midlands	East	North East	North West	South East	South West	West Midlands	Yorkshire & The Humber
2020	May	14,610	10,160	4,450	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
	Sep	10,510	6,660	3,850	400	670	440	1,120	1,580	1,280	610	570
	Nov	9,780	6,620	3,150	340	680	350	1,190	1,740	1,250	510	570
	Dec	9,660	6,450	3,210	340	740	350	1,250	1,640	1,270	470	410
2021	Jan	11,200	7,690	3,520	480	890	390	1,420	1,930	1,460	530	590
	Feb	11,570	7,970	3,600	510	930	410	1,530	1,980	1,500	510	610
	Mar	10,840	7,390	3,450	500	830	400	1,410	1,960	1,340	460	490
	Apr	9,520	6,180	3,340	420	700	340	940	1,790	1,170	380	430
	May	8,460	5,380	3,080	370	630	310	840	1,530	950	320	430
	Jun	6,960	4,460	2,500	310	500	240	680	1,360	750	280	350
	Jul	6,150	3,800	2,350	280	420	140	630	1,180	590	240	310
	Aug	5,380	3,160	2,220	230	360	140	630	890	470	210	240
	Sep	4,770	2,700	2,070	180	300	150	520	700	410	180	270
	Oct	4,330	2,430	1,890	170	290	120	480	610	400	200	180
	Nov	4,290	2,390	1,900	190	240	110	460	630	370	200	200
	Dec	4,880	2,930	1,950	290	350	130	500	740	460	240	220

Table 4: Number of people moved on into settled accommodation or a supported housing pathway, by region, since the COVID-19 response began, September 2020 to December 2021

Year	Month	England	Rest of England	London	East Midlands	East	North East	North West	South East	South West	West Midlands	Yorkshire & The Humber
2020	Sep	19,580	16,310	3,280	1,340	1,950	1,550	3,080	3,010	2,430	1,570	1,370
	Nov	23,140	19,350	3,790	1,580	2,360	1,820	3,820	3,450	2,840	1,860	1,620
	Dec	24,710	20,690	4,020	1,670	2,580	1,950	4,130	3,630	3,020	1,980	1,740
2021	Jan	26,130	21,930	4,200	1,790	2,710	2,090	4,400	3,840	3,150	2,060	1,890
	Feb	27,860	23,460	4,410	1,950	2,860	2,230	4,800	4,090	3,320	2,220	2,010
	Mar	29,730	25,040	4,690	2,140	3,020	2,370	5,110	4,400	3,520	2,340	2,150
	Apr	31,470	26,380	5,090	2,280	3,170	2,470	5,410	4,650	3,700	2,430	2,290
	May	33,020	27,680	5,340	2,440	3,270	2,580	5,670	4,930	3,850	2,540	2,390
	Jun	34,410	28,810	5,600	2,570	3,450	2,660	5,880	5,150	3,960	2,660	2,480
	Jul	35,510	29,740	5,770	2,640	3,550	2,750	6,060	5,360	4,060	2,740	2,590
	Aug	36,660	30,660	6,000	2,710	3,650	2,820	6,270	5,540	4,150	2,820	2,690
	Sep	37,670	31,490	6,180	2,760	3,720	2,920	6,500	5,660	4,230	2,930	2,770
	Oct	38,550	32,200	6,350	2,820	3,790	3,000	6,680	5,790	4,300	2,970	2,840
	Nov	39,450	32,910	6,540	2,900	3,860	3,070	6,900	5,910	4,350	3,020	2,890
	Dec	40,240	33,570	6,670	2,960	3,920	3,150	7,100	6,010	4,390	3,060	2,970

3. Demographics

The management information collects some basic demographics about the nationality of people sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough, who are being provided emergency accommodation and short-term accommodation in response to the pandemic. Local authorities collect this information by asking the person who is housed in emergency and short-term accommodation, but people may refuse to disclose this information so in some cases nationality is unknown.

The majority of people (3,280 people or 67%) in emergency and short-term accommodation in England, as at end December 2021 are from the UK. 890 people (18%) were EEA nationals, 700 people (14%) were non-EEA nationals and 10 people (<1%) had a nationality that was unknown.

In London, 800 people (41%) in emergency and short-term accommodation as at the end of December 2021 were from the UK, 590 people (30%) were EEA nationals and 570 people (29%) were non-EEA nationals.

The number of people in emergency and short-term accommodation who were from the UK decreased the most compared to other nationalities since the same period last year. In December 2020, there were 6,570 people (68%) in emergency and short-term accommodation who were from the UK, which is a decrease of 3,290 people or 50% compared to December 2021. The number of people who are EEA nationals decreased by 800 people or 47% from 1,690 people (17%) to 890 people (18%). The number of people who were non-EEA nationals decreased by 400 people or 36% from 1,110 people (11%) to 700 people (14%) in December 2021. There was also a large change in the number of people in emergency and short-term accommodation whose nationality was unknown compared to last year (97% decrease).

Figure 3: Total number of people in emergency & short-term accommodation, by nationality, November 2020 to December 2021

Figure 4: Percentage of people in emergency & short-term accommodation, by nationality in London and the Rest of England, December 2021

Table 5: Total number of people in emergency & short-term accommodation, by nationality, December 2020 and December 2021

Year	2020	2021	Difference	% change
UK	6,570	3,280	-3,290	-50
EEA	1,690	890	-800	-47
Non-EEA	1,100	700	-400	-36
Not Known	300	10	-290	-97
Total	9,660	4,880	-4,780	-49

4. Live tables

Support for people sleeping rough in England 2021 Tables

1. This management information provides a snapshot of the number of people in emergency and short-term accommodation at the end of each month, therefore the decrease of 9,730 does not mean that only 9,730 people have left accommodation over that time, but that across England 9,730 less people were in accommodation at the end of December 2021 compared to the end of May 2020. ↩

2. The management information on the number of people sleeping rough on a single night and the number of people in emergency and short-term accommodation are snapshot estimates to provide information on the current picture as at the end of each month, whereas the information about the number of people who have been moved into settled accommodation or supported housing is a cumulative total to provide an estimate of the total number of people provided accommodation since the pandemic response began following the launch of Everyone In. ↩