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Homelessness, rough sleeping and temporary accommodation

We frequently receive Freedom of Information (FOI) requests regarding homelessness, rough sleeping and temporary accommodation. We have published a variety of previous FOI responses relating to these topics in our disclosure log.

Tackling homelessness and rough sleeping is one of our Strategic Priorities. For the purposes of transparency and openness, we have compiled comprehensive information regarding these common topics below.

Data

The government publishes local councils’ statistics on homelessness, rough sleeping and temporary accommodation, you can access the data online on the GOV.UK. Please note that there is a delay in the government updating this dataset by two quarters.

We also hold the following data on temporary accommodation:

Number of households in temporary accommodation per month in 2018/19

Month Total number of households
April 103
May 101
June 113
July 122
August 131
September 135
October 128
November 118
December 125
January 118
February 114
March 113

Number of households in temporary accommodation per month in 2019/20

Month Total number of households
April 111
May 103
June 99
July 90
August 86
September 95
October 97
November 98
December 88
January 97
February 92
March 99

Number of households in temporary accommodation per month in 2020/21

Month Total households owed homelessness duty Total rough sleeper initiative/discretionary Total number of households
April 101 51 152
May 88 46 134
June 88 35 123
July 84 32 116
August 93 33 126
September 90 31 121
October 99 35 134
November 101 34 135
December 106 42 148
January 105 55 160
February 99 42 141
March 86 29 115

Number of households in temporary accommodation per month in 2021/22

Month Total households owed homelessness duty Total rough sleeper initiative/discretionary Total number of households
April14133174
May14829177
June15626182
July16123184
August16725192
September17624200
October18026206

Rough Sleeping

Under the Rough Sleeping Initiative for 2022-2025, the government has provided local councils with long-term funding to support people sleeping rough or at risk of rough sleeping. A share of £500 million was allocated to councils across England; Maidstone Borough Council was allocated £1,758,171.

Find information regarding funding allocations for the 2021-2022 Rough Sleeping Initiative on GOV.UK.

As part of the ‘Everyone In’ initiative, approximately 15,000 people across England who were sleeping rough, in unsafe communal settings or at imminent risk of rough sleeping were placed into emergency accommodation during the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to help these people remain in accommodation, the government allocated funding to local councils under their Next Steps Accommodation Programme.

We do not use the government’s Rough Sleeping Support Service.

Homelessness due to domestic abuse

Homelessness applications are sometimes made due to domestic abuse. We publish information and advice regarding domestic abuse on our Domestic abuse page.

Anyone who is experiencing domestic abuse and approaches us as homeless has an automatic "Priority Need" under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. All cases, including those that do not meet the criteria, are recorded. The circumstances in which a case would not meet the criteria are set out in the Homelessness Code of Guidance.

Data regarding homelessness applications made due to domestic abuse is published online on GOV.UK. Please note that there is a delay in the government updating this dataset by two quarters.

We do not hold any data on destitution (poverty) due to domestic abuse.

Kent housing group

We are a member of the Kent Housing Group, which is a forum made up of all local councils in Kent and Medway, housing associations, Homes England and other housing support organisations.