The LSE research suggested that landlords are moving away from letting to low-income households in favour of higher rents.

Researchers found 40% of landlords who had rented to low-income tenants have reduced their letting in the last two years. Tenant and council behaviour and the benefit system, as well as increased costs, were cited as reasons why landlords stepped away from providing temporary accommodation or homes for homelessness prevention.

Homelessness increased by 26% An estimated 3,069 people spent the night sleeping rough in 2022, an annual increase of 26%, the biggest year-on-year rise since 2015 and 74% higher than 2010, the year these statistics were first collected.