Originally commissioned as a five-year study (2011-2015), the UK homelessness monitor project was later extended to 2021, and subsequently to 2026. Funded by Crisis UK, the Monitor provides an independent analysis of the homelessness impact of ongoing economic and policy developments in the UK, as these affect each of the four UK nations. By 2022, the team had published 21 Monitor reports focusing on England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Led by Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, the key areas of interest are the homelessness impacts of:

• Economic change and restructuring
• Welfare reform
• Developments in social, economic and housing policy, tax and public expenditure enacted by the UK Government and the UK devolved administrations

The CFRC contribution to this project mainly involves secondary data analysis of homelessness statistics from UK Government and non-government sources, as well as design and analysis of online surveys covering local authority homelessness managers.

Click here to read the latest UK homelessness monitor reports.

This project was shortlisted in the 2017 Guardian University Awards, in recognition of the impact it has on communities.