Cherisse Dealtry, CEO of the York Road Project in Surrey, said sleeping in cars, staying with friends or living in garages and other forms of hidden homelessness had been around “for a very long time”.
“Anyone’s going to try and support their family or friends to have somewhere to stay rather than see them sleeping on the street,” she said.
Dealtry said the problem was on the rise as people were finding it “really difficult to find good accommodation at a reasonable price and a job that covers all the bills”.
There had also been a surge in hidden homelessness as landlords evicted tenants before the Renters’ Rights Act came into force, she said.
“The impact of homelessness, even if you’re a sofa surfer, is really significant,” Dealtry continued.
“Those affected face uncertainty, stress, poor mental health, difficulties maintaining employment, relationships, access to essential services – it’s terrible.
“We see people coming through our door and they’re absolutely broken.”
The York Road Project, which supports those with housing and mental health issues, said: “Homelessness is not a lifestyle choice. It’s an indictment of a broken system.”
The charity is calling on the government to increase funding to tackle the problem and build more social housing.
“There’s not enough money in order to support people before they meet crisis point,” Dealtry said.
She said the true extent of hidden homelessness may be larger than thought because it was hard to measure.
“It’s hidden because you just don’t know about it,” Dealtry said.
“It is such a hard thing for people to accept that things aren’t going so well. Asking for help is a really stigmatic thing to do – [you] get on with it and hope things will change.
“Everyone believes that when you become homeless it’s your fault, but it’s not. There are so many things that can factor in to what happens to someone.”