Housing Crisis: The Truth the Anti-Immigration Protesters Do Not Want to Hear

We do house our own first!

What this woman and the rest of those who repeat the lie do not realise is that, in reality, our own people are prioritised. At present, there are over 136,000 UK-born residents living in temporary accommodation, and yes, many are in hotels.

What she doesn’t know, or want to know, is that the UK is in the grip of a housing crisis created by decades of disastrous policies: the sell-off of council homes, the deregulated housing market, and private landlords charging sky-high rents that drive ordinary people into homelessness.

We now have working people who are homeless. We have families living in cramped bedsits. This is the direct result of successive neoliberal governments who refuse to act—not out of ignorance, but because inaction keeps their wealthy friends happy: the property speculators, the developers, and, yes, the hotel owners profiting from the crisis.

Those who protest without understanding the root cause remain blind to the reality. They refuse to listen to those who know. Instead, they hurl accusations of betrayal, all while unwittingly enabling the very rich to bleed the country dry.

The tragedy is not just the crisis itself; it is the willful ignorance that allows it to continue.

Data That Backs Up the Crisis

1. Households in Temporary Accommodation

• As of 31 March 2025, 131,140 households were living in temporary accommodation in England—a record high, reflecting a 12% increase from the previous year Homeless LinkCrisis.
• Among these, 169,050 children were affected—a similarly troubling 12% year-on-year rise Homeless LinkCrisis.
• Additionally, households in the worst types of emergency lodging—like nightly-paid B&Bs and hostels—numbered 69,410, marking a 23% climb Crisis.

2. Scale of Homelessness

• Across England, 327,950 households were owed support to prevent or relieve homelessness in 2024—a 5% increase on 2023 Big Issue.
• Rough sleeping is also on the rise: approximately 4,667 people were recorded as sleeping rough in autumn 2024—a 20% surge in just one year Big Issue.
• In London, between April 2024 and March 2025, 13,231 rough sleepers were logged—the highest on record—a 10% uptick from the previous year Big Issue.
• England had the highest homelessness rate among developed countries in 2023, with 124 in every 10,000 households lacking permanent housing The Guardian Financial Times.

3. Financial Strain on Councils

• Councils spent over £2.29 billion on temporary accommodation in 2023–24—representing a 29% increase on the previous year UK Parliament CommitteesParliament UK.
• London boroughs alone reportedly spend around £4 million per day on temporary housing solutions Parliament UK The Guardian.
• In the year to March 2024, emergency housing expenditure surged by almost 80%, reaching £732 million Financial Times.
• Councils are frequently overcharged: some are paying up to 60% above market rent for temporary housing, and the sector has ballooned into a £2 billion industry The Guardian.

4. Impact of ‘Right to Buy’ and Council Sales

• Since the launch of the “Right to Buy” policy in 1980, approximately 1.9 million council homes have been sold off, with social housing stock shrinking disproportionately The Guardian.
• The policy has cost taxpayers nearly £200 billion and depleted a crucial public housing resource that’s not being replenished The Guardian.

Summary Table

These figures starkly illustrate the scale of the crisis—a combination of rising homelessness, inadequate social housing, soaring council expenses, and profiteering from temporary accommodation are all interconnected.