In rural England, homelessness has surged by 40 percent over the past five years, driven by a combination of factors including a surge in second homes, steep mortgages, and escalating

energy bills, according to a recent report by the CPRE charity, an advocate for affordable rural housing.

The charity highlighted a concerning rise in homelessness from 17,212 individuals in 2018 to 24,143 in 2023. This distressing trend reflects stagnant wages juxtaposed against soaring housing expenses across various regions. The country faced a peak annual inflation of 11.1 percent in October 2022, which has somewhat eased to 3.9 percent in November. However, a confluence of factors continues to exacerbate food poverty and homelessness.

CPRE emphasized that record-high housing prices, lengthy queues for social-rent housing, and the proliferation of second homes and short-term lets have directly impacted the spike in rural homelessness. Shockingly, 12 rural local authorities have rough sleeping rates surpassing the national average of 15 individuals per 100,000.

For instance, the town of Boston, situated northeast of London, emerged as the worst-affected rural area, recording 48 rough sleepers per 100,000 individuals in September 2023, the most recent data available. This distressing reality persists in places like Bedford (38 per 100,000) and North Devon (29 per 100,000).

The charity underscored the unique challenges faced by those sleeping rough in the countryside. Often hidden from plain sight, these individuals camp in fields or seek shelter in farm buildings, with limited access to essential support services. Consequently, the charity believes that the official data, derived from government sources, likely underestimates the magnitude of this crisis.

In rural England, a staggering 300,000 people languish on social housing waitlists, amidst an environment where the average home price hovers around £420,000. Meanwhile, Shelter, another charity, anticipates a 14 percent increase in homelessness across England this Christmas compared to the previous year. They estimate that approximately 309,550 people experienced some form of homelessness in 2023, with the majority seeking temporary accommodation—a notable rise from the 2022 estimate of 271,421.

This housing emergency, as cited by Shelter, underscores the crisis, with concerns of potentially higher figures due to forms of 'hidden homelessness,' like sofa-surfing.

The Trussell Trust, the UK's largest food bank network, reported a distressing surge in demand for emergency food parcels. Between April and September 2023, they distributed a record 1.5 million parcels—a 16 percent increase compared to 2022—reflecting the unprecedented levels of poverty across the country.

Amidst these challenges, the combined efforts of charities and organizations aim to address the pressing issues of rural homelessness, housing affordability, and food poverty, foreseeing a challenging winter ahead.