One in four people have faced housing insecurity in the past five years, BSC reveals
27% of people said they or someone close to them had dealt with issues like sofa surfing, risk of eviction or living in temporary accommodation.
More than one in four people in the UK have faced housing insecurity in the last five years, the latest Better Society Index from the Better Society Capital (BSC) found.
27% of people said they or someone close to them had dealt with issues like sofa surfing, risk of eviction or living in temporary accommodation.
This figure jumped to 47% among 18-34 year olds.
56% supported public-private partnerships for housing and homelessness services, with just 8% against.
Respondents said value for money, transparency, and local accountability would increase their support.
Charities and social enterprises were seen as most trustworthy, with 71% saying they trusted them to deliver these services, followed by housing associations at 55% and local authorities at 47%.
52% said they would consider investing some of their own savings or pension into products that help tackle social issues like homelessness, if it had little effect on financial returns.
Councils reported a combined £1.65bn spend on homelessness services in 2024/25, with a median year-on-year rise of 10.62%.
The average increase across the UK was 18.57%.
Temporary accommodation was a major cost, with over 3,000 people needing housing every night for the past year.
In more than half of councils, spending on homelessness services was higher than planning and development budgets and similar to what was spent on highways and transport.
Region by region, London saw the biggest rise in spending at 43.67%, followed by the South East at 32.52%, Yorkshire and The Humber at 28.95%, and the East Midlands at 28.54%.
The North East, West Midlands, and North West also saw double-digit rises.
The East of England, Northern Ireland, South West, and Scotland saw smaller increases while Wales recorded a decrease of 2.53%.
Drew Ritchie, director of BSC, said: “This data freshly reminds us that homelessness is not a fringe issue.
“It is a major and pressing concern for both the public and the local councils working on their behalf.
“However, the analysis also highlights an appetite for innovative solutions. A majority of savers and pension holders would like to see their money make a difference.”
Ritchie added: “Public attitudes to private investment working alongside Government are positive and the public overwhelmingly trusts charities and social enterprises to deliver those services effectively.
“Social investment combines these key ingredients, building partnerships to deliver innovative finance solutions to tackle entrenched social issues and ensuring tax payer money goes further.
“After more than 10 years of investing into housing, we believe that social investment should be a bigger part of the solution to homelessness in the UK.”
He said: “The new Office for the Impact Economy in Cabinet Office is well-placed to coordinate efforts and use this insight into public attitudes to unlock impact finance solutions across government.
“We look forward to seeing how their partnership with social investors, philanthropists and responsible-driven business evolves to tackle joint problems.”
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