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The top reasons for homelessness in London 

Homelessness is increasing in London—more so than in any other area in the UK. Our analysis shows that one person in our capital city is forced into homelessness every 8.5 minutes.

Many factors can cause homelessness: personal, social, systemic, and political. Londoners also face unique challenges that the rest of the country does not feel as strongly.

Here, we unpick the top four reasons driving homelessness in London.

Not enough affordable housing

A graph showing the number of households on the social housing waiting list by UK region
Source: MHCLG (2023)

Housebuilding in London needs to catch up. The city must build 43,000 affordable homes each year for current and future Londoners, but in 2023-24, only 10,949 homes were completed, a 22% decrease from 2022-23. This shortage led to 323,827 households on London’s social housing waiting lists in 2023. This is a quarter of all households in England waiting for social housing.

As the supply of social housing fails to keep up with demand, more people have to rely on the private rental sector. This is often unaffordable, unsuitable, and risky.

A risky private rental sector

More competition for homes in the private sector means higher rents and poorer property standards. In fact, London has the second-highest rental prices in Europe.

Studies show that where rent is over 32% of the average income, homelessness rises. In London, the average person spends half their cash on rent. No wonder so many are struggling to get by.

And then there’s always the risk of eviction, even if you have done nothing wrong…

A political choice to keep ‘no-fault’ evictions

Imagine being forced to leave your home for no reason. This is a Section 21 ‘no-fault’ eviction, a power that landlords have. Roughly 500 renters receive a Section 21 notice every day in England and Wales—nearly one person every three minutes.

No-fault evictions rose by 52% in London from September 2023 to 2024. The increase is more than five times the rise seen in the rest of England and Wales over the same period. The latest data shows there were 11,880 no-fault eviction claims in London in the year to March 2024.

Since 2019, 84,650 households have sought homelessness support after receiving a Section 21 notice. Of these, 26,100 were from September 2023 to 2024, the highest number since records began.

In 2019, the Government promised to end this unfair practice through the Renters’ Reform Bill. But as the Conservative Government lost power in 2024, the bill did not progress. It’s now Labour’s job to end Section 21 through its new Renters’ Rights Bill.

Discrimination and inequality

In London, a person’s ethnic background affects their chance of homelessness more than in other UK areas.

Here are the facts:

  • Black Londoners are five times more likely to be homeless than white Londoners.
  • Eviction rates in London vary widely. The most diverse areas have significantly higher eviction rates than the least diverse ones.

Single Homeless Project began in 1975 when six homeless men in London teamed up to create change. They wanted to end rough sleeping and build a city where everyone has a safe home and a chance for a fulfilling life. Today, we help over 12,000 Londoners in crisis every year leave homelessness behind, be seen and heard, and find a place to call home.

Our expert teams prevent Londoners from becoming homeless and help people off the streets. We provide safe places to live and offer the support needed to recover, prepare for the future and become independent.

If you want to learn more about our work, subscribe to our newsletter.

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