Understanding the link between protected characteristics and homelessness
In February 2026, our Research team produced a report on the relationship between homelessness and disability. That report identified some key themes, including:
Disability is a risk factor for homelessness
Disability is overrepresented in homeless populations in England because of systemic and individual-level factors. First, there is a lack of accessible, affordable and safe accommodation for households with a disability. Second, it costs more to have a disability due to the additional costs of specialist equipment, accessible transport and higher utility bills. Third, individuals with a disability face barriers in education, employment and social relationships, which further increases their vulnerability.
Homelessness disables
Being homeless creates additional disabilities and makes it harder to manage existing ones. This may be due to the physical environment, but also the lack of support and exposure to abuse and exploitation, particularly for women and individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions.
Disability makes leaving homelessness harder
Having a disability means having to divide time between staying safe and staying healthy. Though out of hospital care models exist to support homeless individuals in managing their health, these are few and far between. There is also a lack of adequate supported housing and integrated solutions, that would offer long-term resolution.
As a landlord, we feel strongly about preventing homelessness and supporting customers to sustain their tenancies. This is reflected in our low eviction levels and our strong emphasis on taking a fair and proportionate approach when managing tenancy breaches. Encouragingly, we’ve seen a reduction in 12‑month tenancy turnover, indicating more customers are able to maintain stable housing.
Our allocations data also shows that we are housing a higher proportion of people with disabilities compared to local authority waiting lists. While this is positive, we recognise there is more to do to ensure these insights consistently translate into early, preventative action.
Checking our allocations are fair and representative
In early 2025, we carried out a review of our allocations process to make sure we’re providing homes to those who need them most. This included checking that our approach is fair, transparent and aligned with the Tenancy Standard, while also supporting local authorities to meet housing need and tackle homelessness.
Overall, the findings were positive. As a group, we are letting a higher proportion of homes to households experiencing homelessness than the sector average. While there are some regional variations, these largely reflect local circumstances and differences in data.
We also looked closely at whether our lettings reflect the communities we serve. Encouragingly, our data shows that our allocations broadly match the demographic make-up of local waiting lists, including in more diverse areas. This gives us confidence that our process is working as intended and that no group is being overlooked.
We’ll continue to work with our local authority partners to strengthen the data we have and keep improving our approach.