Approximately 1,000 people per month were released from prisons in England and Wales into homelessness during the 2024-25 period, according to Gary Teper, managing director of The Housing Network. These individuals reportedly went on to sleep rough.
Mr Teper stated that homelessness can contribute to reoffending, creating a cycle where release from custody leads to rough sleeping. He also noted that a bed alone is often insufficient for those leaving custody, with many needing housing alongside trauma-informed support, life skills, and help to sustain a tenancy.
He argued that no government can credibly promise to end rough sleeping while people are released directly into it from public institutions. Mr Teper suggested that addressing homelessness among prison leavers should be treated as homelessness prevention, rather than just management.