Housing charity Shelter estimates 354,000 people will spend the 2024 festive season homeless in England, a number that has surged by 14% in the last year alone.

At least 354,000 people, including 161,500 children, will be homeless across England this Christmas, according to new estimates from Shelter, as homelessness has surged in 2024.

A sharp rise in people sleeping rough and families trapped in temporary accommodation is behind that increase. A total of 326,000 people are in temporary accommodation, rising by 17% in one year, while an estimated 3,900 people are sleeping rough on a given night, representing a 10% increase on 2023 levels.

There are a further 16,600 single people in hostels or other homeless accommodation.

Overall, an additional 44,500 people are experiencing homelessness this year, the charity said.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: "As the country prepares to wind down and celebrate the festive season in our homes, it’s unimaginable that 354,000 will spend this winter homeless – many of them forced to shiver on the wet streets or in a mouldy hostel room with their entire family.

Homelessness has been increasing in 2024, with the Conservatives failing to hit their goal of ending rough sleeping by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, sky-high rents, frozen local housing allowance rates, and a shortage of social housing have seen the number of households living in temporary accommodation soar.

Shelter found homelessness rates were most acute in London, where one in 47 people is homeless in the English capital.

The total number of people experiencing homelessness in the city has risen by 12% in the last year to 187,000. The borough with the highest rate of homelessness is Newham, with one in 18 people homeless.

Councillor Grace Williams, London Council’s executive member for housing and regeneration, said: “London is the epicentre of a national homelessness emergency, with vast numbers of families set to spend Christmas in temporary accommodation.

Outside of London, Slough is the local authority with the highest rates of homelessness, with one in 51 people homeless, followed by Luton, with one in 57 homeless, and Manchester, where one in 61 people are experiencing homelessness.

The Northeast has the most significant annual increase of 53%, from 1,500 people to 2,300 people experiencing homelessness.

For Sally, 43, the year spent living in temporary accommodation in Dorset with her 14-year-old daughter has been the most stressful of her life.

Sally was made homeless earlier this year after being evicted. The family were placed in a room in a Travelodge after spending eight hours on the street. With Shelter’s help, they were moved into a different hotel and are now in temporary accommodation in a one-bed flat, but they are still experiencing problems with the accommodation.

"I’ve been through a lot in life with the loss of my sister and husband, but I have never experienced as much stress as I have this year, being evicted and becoming homeless," said Sally.

Life in temporary accommodation has continued to affect Sally and her daughters’ health.

"My daughter is autistic, and the two most important things for her are routine and stability. These have been impossible to maintain while we’ve been homeless, which has been incredibly difficult for her, and she has run away countless times," said Sally.

The Labour government has set up a cross-government unit to tackle homelessness, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.

An additional £233m in funding was announced in the autumn budget to tackle all forms of homelessness. In comparison, an emergency £10m fund has been promised to support people who are rough sleeping over the winter.

“Anyone forced to sleep rough on our streets represents a complete failure of the broken system we’ve inherited. It’s a national disgrace, and we can’t keep sticking plasters on it,” said Housing Secretary Rayner.

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