A city in Bucks has the sixth highest rate of homelessness in the UK outside of London.

According to data from Shelter England, at least 271,000 people in the UK were homeless as of January 2023, including 123,000 children. 

The charity has published a list of the areas outside of London with the highest rates of people who meet the homelessness criteria of living in temporary accommodation or sleeping on the streets in 2022. 

Bucks city Milton Keynes ranked sixth on the list, with the estimated number of people homeless and living in temporary accommodation arranged by the council at 2,336.

The number of people sleeping on the streets in Milton Keynes on a given night were 18 and the number of homeless children in temporary accommodation was 1,182.

Shelter England estimated that 1 in every 122 people in the city were homeless with the estimated total number of people experiencing homelessness reaching 2,354.

Data published by Shelter England last year estimated that one in every 94 people in Milton Keynes were homeless in 2021.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “Our frontline advisers are working tirelessly to help people who are desperate to escape homelessness - from the parents doing all they can to provide some shred of a normal family life while stuck in an emergency B&B, to the person terrified of another night sleeping rough.

“At Shelter, we are bracing ourselves for a sharp rise in homelessness in 2023. More than ever, we will be relying on the public’s generosity to help us support and campaign for all those fighting for a safe home.”

Local charities including The Bus Shelter MK and Al-Fikr are helping to combat the level of homelessness in Milton Keynes by providing support, shelter and food for rough sleepers.

Click here to view the full list of areas in the UK most affected by homelessness.