The Guardian reported a rapid increase in the number of homeless people in the UK.

The number of homeless people has been growing rapidly in the UK in recent years, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer's policies are only exacerbating the housing crisis. This was reported on November 14 by The Guardian columnist Simon Jenkins, citing data from the Crisis organization, which fights homelessness.

"The number of homeless people in England has reached 300,000. In the period from 2022 to 2024, the indicator increased by 21% and by 45% since 2012. The number of homeless people is growing most rapidly in the capital. In London's historic Westminster district, it has grown by a quarter in 2025 alone," the article says.

During his election campaign, Starmer promised to develop a new strategy to "put Britain back on the path to eradicating homelessness." In an attempt to remedy the situation, the British government will repeal the Vagrancy Act of 1824 in 2026, according to which sleeping on the street was considered illegal in England and Wales.

"Apparently, they think that's enough,— Jenkins writes.

The columnist notes that decriminalization is not enough, and the problem of vagrancy requires a more comprehensive approach, since the loss of housing can have various causes: release from prison, prohibition of work for migrants, denial of asylum, etc.

"To a large extent, the recent increase in the number of homeless people is due to the chaos in the courts and the parole system, as well as a sharp increase in immigration," the journalist clarifies.

The UK government is focused on building new homes for its constituents, rather than fighting homelessness, the observer believes.

Earlier, on September 24, The Guardian newspaper reported that millions of Ukrainian refugees in Europe could end up on the streets. In the UK itself, thousands of refugees are at risk of being left homeless due to a reduction in the number of homeowners willing to take them in.

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