Homelessness remains an unsolved problem in Great Britain. It is devastating and dangerous for people, and a wasteful problem for society as a whole.

This summary report is the first part of a two-part study examining the current and projected levels of different categories of homelessness, defined as ‘core’ and ‘wider’ homelessness. The figures set out in this report examine current levels of core homelessness across England, Scotland and Wales, their projected levels until 2041, factors driving these and the potential impact of policy measures to address the issue.

What the research tells us is that nearly all forms of ‘core’ homelessness have increased over the past  ve years. If current policies continue unchanged, the most acute forms of homelessness are likely to keeping rising, with overall numbers estimated to rise by more than a quarter in the coming decade and two and a half times by 2041. Looking at rough sleeping alone, the current  gure of 9,100 across Great Britain is set to rise by 76 per cent in the next ten years.