Rough sleeping has hit a record high, official figures show.

4,793 people were sleeping rough on a single night last autumn, the highest number ever recorded. This is an increase of 96 per cent since 2021, and 171 per cent since 2010.

Building on the research in 2025 funded by the Steve Morgan Foundation, analysis of the figures by cross-party think tank the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) found monthly totals to be even higher than the nightly counts, with over 9,000 people seen sleeping rough in October and in November. The number of people sleeping rough long-term has also risen, with long-term rough sleepers now the largest group sleeping rough, a sign of Britain’s entrenched homelessness crisis.

In December, the government published its homelessness strategy, A National Plan to End Homelessness, which sets a new target to halve long-term rough sleeping. But the CSJ argues that this pledge is underpowered and urges ministers to change course and roll out the successful Housing First model across England, which is proven to break the cycle of rough sleeping for the vast majority of participants.

Download the Rough Sleeping Tracker on the Centre for Social Justice website here.

Read more about Housing First.

Josh Nicholson, Head of Housing and Communities at the Centre for Social Justice, said:

“Rough sleeping has been out of control for too long and more of the same won’t cut it. Ministers still have time to act, by prioritising proven interventions like Housing First, and to scale them up before it’s too late.”

Bob Blackman MP, Co-Chair of the APPG for Ending Homelessness and author of the 2017 Homelessness Reduction Act, said:

“The levels of rough sleeping revealed today are a national disgrace and undermine any ambition this government might have to end rough sleeping for good. The CSJ’s analysis shows a system trapped in crisis and a state unable to keep pace with the pressures it faces.”

 

A new University of Manchester evaluation shows Cradle to Career is driving life‑changing impact in North Birkenhead, proving the power of a place‑based approach in one of the region’s most deprived areas. Initiated by Steve Morgan Foundation and delivered by Right to Succeed, the programme launched in 2021 in partnership Wirral Council, National Lottery Community Fund, SHINE Trust and the UBS Optimus Foundation.
 
Impact and key findings

·         Professionals report a major shift in thinking, with barriers between organisations removed.
·         Schools, community organisations and services have formed strong new partnerships.
·         A 15‑month reading age gap for 8–16 year olds has been closed.
·         Care‑entry decisions have fallen dramatically—from 7–8 per week to 7–8 per year.
·         Uptake of the 30‑hour childcare offer has surged.
·         North Birkenhead has moved from the borough’s highest‑need area to the fourth‑highest.
·         School attendance across participating settings is up by an average of 16%, bucking national post‑pandemic trends.
·         SEND pupils’ reading ability has risen by the equivalent of half a GCSE grade.

Graeme Duncan, CEO of Right to Succeed, said:
“The University of Manchester’s evaluation reflects what we have seen on the ground – that place-based, community-led action can produce life-changing outcomes for children and families. In this next year, we will start the process of handing over the project to the community; we look forward to working with the locally-owned organisation that takes that on to build on C2C’s success to date.”
 
SMF’s Liam Eaglestone added:
“At the Steve Morgan Foundation, we are committed to investing in initiatives that drive meaningful system change. We are delighted with the impact that C2C has achieved to date and the learning that will strengthen long term sustainability across the Liverpool City Region.”
 
Professor Kirstin Kerr, University of Manchester, continued:
“The C2C model has shifted how the organisations and services in a community work together and created powerful insights into achieving place-based change in the UK.”

 

More than 70 Together Type 1 Young Leaders from across the UK met in Birmingham to take part in a Dragon’s Den competition and pitch ideas for Together Type 1 events in 2026.

The popular event saw Together Type 1 Young Leaders from across the UK come together for a Dragon’s Den style competition, where they pitched ideas for meaningful events that the Together Type 1 programme could put on in 2026. The assembled Young Leaders also took inspiration from Ru Paul’s Drag Race star SALLY (TM), who created a special diabetes-themed outfit for the event. SALLY talked about their own experience of living with diabetes, some regrets and some successes, and challenged the Young Leaders to follow their dreams.

The panel of Dragons included SALLY, Liam Eaglestone, CEO of the Steve Morgan Foundation, and staff from Diabetes UK. The Dragons heard a range of innovative event ideas, from a type 1 retreat weekend, to the diabetes-lympics!

Events for young people living with type 1 diabetes

“We will be taking many of these exciting ideas forward into our planning for next year,” said Iain French-Wilkie, Type 1 Services Programme Manager and Dragon.

“We wanted to create a mix of events that are meaningful for young people living with type 1 and realised that our Young Leader community is perfectly placed to help us develop and deliver them.”

Together Type 1 is a peer support and empowerment programme developed and delivered by Diabetes UK and funded by the Steve Morgan Foundation. The community is for anyone aged 11-25 living with type 1 diabetes and encourages members to make new friends, learn new skills and build their confidence. 

Watch the video below to hear from attendees and gain an insight into the event