There is a perception that the rural areas of England are largely immune to the issues of poverty and deprivation. This image is reinforced by how hidden homelessness and rough sleeping can be in the countryside and also the absence of any focus on rural areas in the Government's National Plan to End Homelessness. However, as the 2025 England-wide rough sleeping snapshot revealed, areas such as Somerset and Cornwall, while predominantly rural, feature in the list of local authorities in England with the highest estimated number of people sleeping rough. Overcrowding and sofa surfing are also rife in rural communities.
In the latest episode of the Going Beyond podcast, Homeless Link talks to Matt Gasside, Head of Support and Community Services for P3 Charity, and Lucy Campbell, Assistant Director of System Change at Single Homeless Project about the reality of supporting people experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping in rural England. We talk about issues particular to rural areas including, the absence of affordable housing, the rise in van dwelling, how people can remain hidden over large areas, how infrequent expensive public transport makes it very difficult for vulnerable people to access support services. We also explore what we can learn from the Women's Rough Sleeping Census about finding and supporting those who are most hidden, and what solutions are working for people experiencing in homelessness in rural areas. For more on this subject, you will also find a Spotlight on Rural Homelessness in the Homeless Link Knowledge Hub.
Listen below, or on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. And make sure you check out the full back catalogue of Going Beyond podcasts.