Homelessness in England increased by 8% in 2025. 4,667 people are sleeping rough on any given night - a huge rise of 20% in one year alone - and the number of people in temporary accommodation increased by 8%.
Swindon’s growing homelessness crisis is among the worst in England. Local authority figures from 2025 reveal:
The numbers in this snapshot do
not include people who are unofficially homeless, at risk of homelessness, living
in inadequate or insecure housing, squatting or ‘sofa-surfing’ at friends’ or
families’ homes. We do not know the full extent of homelessness due to the many
people without stable accommodation who fall under the radar. The true scale of homelessness in Swindon may
be much worse.
Being homeless doesn’t just mean
sleeping on the streets. It also means people who don’t have access to a
suitable and settled home.
The council often has to find short-term places to stay for people who have been made homeless. People can be placed in hotels, hostels and B&Bs until suitable accommodation is found. Research reveals that physical and social living conditions in temporary accommodation are generally poor, with overcrowding, poor maintenance, dirty facilities, infestations, mould, disruptive behaviour, lack of safety and bullying and harassment, particularly in shared accommodation. Sometimes whole families must live in one single room, not knowing how long they will be there or where they will go next.
Rough sleeping is the most visible and dangerous form of homelessness. Rough sleepers are at serious risk from exposure to weather conditions and are extremely vulnerable to violence and exploitation.
The highest cause of homelessness in Swindon is friends/family no longer willing to accommodate people, suggesting many were not living independently even before becoming homeless, known as being ‘homeless at home’. They may not have approached the council for a safe place to live or may not be entitled to help with housing. People who are hidden homeless may be ‘sofa surfing’ with friends or family, squatting or staying with others until they are moved on. These people are often living in unsuitable, overcrowded or dangerous accommodation.
Homelessness is a cycle of cause
and effect. A wide range of issues contribute to people becoming homeless, and
being homeless contributes to many of the same issues that cause it.
Homelessness is destroying lives in our community. A thousand people in Swindon do not have a home and many more households are at risk. Anyone can be affected by homelessness.
Please help us to end homelessness in Swindon.
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