How do we end a homelessness crisis that keeps breaking its own records? 

Rough sleeping in England hit its highest level on record last autumn, with 4,793 people counted on a single night, that’s a 171% rise since 2010. Over 134,000 households were in temporary accommodation as of December 2025, and local authority TA costs have nearly doubled in five years. Government has responded at pace: the National Plan to End Homelessness, backed by £3.5 billion of investment, sets out a prevention-first approach, while June 2026 saw the repeal of the 200-year-old Vagrancy Act, ending the criminalisation of rough sleeping in England and Wales. A further £442 million Rough Sleeping Programme and £340 million funding boost followed in July 2026. 

The gap between national ambition and local delivery remains. Councils are managing unsustainable financial pressure, entrenched rough sleeping persists despite new funding, and progress looks starkly different depending on where you live, from London's accommodation shortfall to the North West's 20% regional rise in rough sleeping. 

The Institute of Government and Public Policy’s Homelessness Summit 2027 brings together policymakers, local authorities, housing associations and frontline organisations to turn national ambition into local delivery.