Over a quarter of people say they or someone close to them has experienced housing insecurity in the past five years, a UK-wide survey revealed.
The research conducted by Better Society Capital, a leading social impact investor, also shows that among 18-34 year olds the figure rises to nearly one in two (47%).
The findings are part of their Better Society Index, an annual piece of research launched in 2026 looking at how social impact investment can support public service delivery across the UK.
Drew Ritchie, director of Better Society Capital, said: “This data freshly reminds us that homelessness is not a fringe issue.
“It is a major and pressing concern for both the public and the local councils working on their behalf.”
The report suggests that in recent years housing insecurity could have affected more than 13.5 million people across the UK, highlighting concerns about the housing crisis for younger generations.
Housing insecurity includes experiences such as sofa surfing, the risk of eviction, or time spent in temporary accommodation.
Local authorities reported a combined £1.65 billion spent on homelessness services in 2024/25, and councils recording more than 3,000 people needing housing every night for the last year alone.
Unsurprisingly, almost half of survey respondents believe homelessness is both a significant issue in their local area (49%) and getting worse (43%).
And although typically there is significant variation between rural and urban areas in spending and demands, in more than half of local authorities cost pressures from homelessness services outstrip entire planning and development budgets.
On average, spending trends across the UK have increased by 18.57% from 2023/24 to 2024/25.
However, local authority data indicates that expenditure on homelessness is almost ten times lower than perceived by the public, who on average believe that 28% of their council tax goes toward homelessness services.
Ritchie said: “The analysis also highlights an appetite for innovative solutions. A majority of savers and pension holders would like to see their money make a difference.
“After more than 10 years of investing into housing, we believe that social investment should be a bigger part of the solution to homelessness in the UK.”
According to their Better Society Index, more than half of respondents (52%) said they would be willing to invest a portion of their own savings or pension in products tackling social issues such as homelessness, while only 0.05% of total UK pension assets are currently allocated to social impact investment.
Ritchie emphasised the potential of cooperation between government and social impact investment, an approach to investing that seeks financial returns while aiming to generate positive social impact, to tackle housing insecurity.
Featured Image: Matt Seymour on Unsplash
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