Nearly half of people who died homeless in the UK last year lived in ‘hidden’ homelessness, according to a new report.

An investigation by the Dying Homeless Project, published on Wednesday, found that 49% of the 1,611 people who died in 2024 were living in temporary accommodation.

The number of homeless deaths has risen by 9% since 2023.

Unlike the visible signs of homelessness, like those sleeping rough on the streets, hidden homelessness is where people live ‘out of sight’ in temporary accommodation.

These include hostels or B&Bs, staying in their cars, or sofa surfing between friends’ and relatives’ houses.

Gill Taylor, strategic lead for the Museum of Homelessness’ project, said: “Whilst it is positive that local authorities and Safeguarding Adult Boards appear to be taking the issue more seriously, with better reporting and evidence of improved local partnership working to prevent deaths, turning the tide on this enormous loss of life needs more than better counting.”

There is limited data on hidden homelessness as many people’s situations are not well captured by official statistics.

The Office for National Statistics has said this makes it difficult to accurately measure the scale of the problem.

Government figures from March 2025 estimated that the number of people sleeping rough in England at around 3,400.

According to the charity Shelter, over 131,000 households were recorded to be living in temporary accommodation in England – the highest number on record.

More than 169,000 children were recorded as living in temporary accommodation as of July 2025 – a 12% increase from the previous year.

The charity said that B&Bs and hostels are often the most damaging living spaces for children because they have shared facilities, like bathrooms, and families are usually cramped in one room.

Room for improvement

Even before the recent data was released, local leaders have pledged support to help tackle the issue.

Research conducted for Sheffield City Council in January found that Yorkshire and the Humber had a temporary accommodation rate of 1.43 households per thousand at the end of March 2024.

Sheffield’s rate was nearly double that at 2.78 per thousand.

In June, the council approved a 5-year Temporary Accommodation Strategy and Policy to streamline its process for allocating temporary housing.

Its priorities include ending the use of ‘costly’ hotels and B&Bs to house people, reduce delays and ensure that vulnerable individuals and families receive assistance when it is most needed.

Cllr Douglas Johnson, Chair of the Housing Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “Allowing people to live in safe, secure and affordable housing is something we continue to strive for in Sheffield.

“By more easily being able to help those with the most pressing need, it helps us to manage our housing stock more efficiently for all who require it in the city.”

The city also has an ongoing long-term homelessness prevention strategy, as do other towns and cities around the region such as Hull and York.

These aim to minimize homelessness through early prevention, support, and access to suitable housing.