Record numbers of people slept rough on the streets of England last year, according to the latest official statistics.

An estimated 4,793 people spent the night in tents, doorways and parks on a single night in autumn 2025, up 3% year on year, and overtaking the previous peak of 4,751 in 2017, though charities believe these figures underestimate the scale of the nation’s homelessness crisis.

2025 was the fourth year in a row that rough sleeping numbers have risen. The figures also show that the number of children in homeless families living in temporary accommodation increased to the highest levels on record, up 12,020 in a year to 175,990.

Charities said the recent upward trend in rough sleeping and temporary housing was unlikely to be reversed without government action to tackle the impact of high private sector rents and build more social housing. “It is a national scandal,” said Sarah Elliott, the chief executive of Shelter.

Separate figures showed 15,690 households headed by older people were at risk of homelessness as a result of housing benefit falling behind the rent levels, a rise of 79% in the last five years, according to the charity Independent Age.

“Some of the older private renters we speak to are really struggling with affording their rent, which can lead to being evicted,” said Joanna Elson, the chief executive of Independent Age.

Charities said more detailed official monthly rough sleeping estimates showed more than 9,000 people slept rough in October and November, and over 8,000 in December. Calculations by the homelessness charity Crisis in 2025 indicate the real figure could be as high as 15,000.

Rough sleeping more than doubled after 2010, when austerity was introduced, falling significantly only during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 thanks to the “Everybody In” initiative that put up thousands of rough sleepers in hotels.

After the Covid low of 2,443 in 2021 rough sleeper numbers grew by over 20% in each of the three following years. Last year, the first full year under the Labour government, the increase was 3%.

The government launched a strategy in December aimed at halving rough sleeping by the end of this parliament. On Thursday it announced a £50m fund to support homelessness charities and target areas with high rough sleeping. Its Renters’ Rights Act banning “no fault” private rented sector evictions, comes into effect in May.

Matt Downie, the chief executive of Crisis, said the new figures “paint a bleak picture of the state of the nation. People are being forced to sleep on the streets at unprecedented levels, exposed to danger and violence.”

Rick Henderson, thechief executive of Homeless Link, the umbrella body for frontline homelessness services, described the figures as “devastating”. He added: “There can be no question that ending this atrocious situation must be a political and social priority.”

The homelessness minister, Alison McGovern, said: “We have to get our kids out of B&B accommodation, and it is good that today we see progress against this target. There are simply too many people facing life on the streets or in temporary accommodation. While today’s statistics show progress in some areas, it is clearly not good enough.

“We are investing a record £3.6bn funding to tackle homelessness, including £50m announced today to help councils and voluntary groups often on the frontline of helping the most vulnerable people and creating real change for those that need it most.”