Over 1,250 people in the North East are homeless, including 360 children, stats from charity Shelter have shown. 

Shelter has blamed "soaring" private rents and living costs for the national rise in homelessness.

These stats signify a 29 per cent increase in homelessness in the region, in 2021, Shelter estimated 967 were homeless in the North East.

Across the region, an additional 50 people are thought to be sleeping rough on any given night. In County Durham, the situation is equally grim, with at least 226 people homeless, including 86 children.

Shelter has urgently appealed for public support as it braces for a sharp rise in homelessness in the coming year. 

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The region's MPs have waded into the discourse, with some predicting a "housing affordability crisis", whilst others have praised the government for "focussing money and time" on the issue. 

This comes as the whole nation faces a cost of living crisis that is pushing many below the breadline. Nearly one million people are facing eviction this winter, with four in ten low-income families having to skip meals to pay their rent. 

Tracy Guy, Newcastle Service Lead at Shelter, said: "The new year should be a time of hope, but this isn’t the case for the 1,250 homeless people in the North East who are facing a truly bleak 2023. A cold doorway or a grotty hostel room is not a home, but this is the reality for too many people today.  

"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 normal family life while stuck in an emergency B&B, to the person terrified of another night sleeping rough.   

"With private rents and living costs continuing to soar, thousands of people are not just facing a winter of worry, they are at risk of losing the roof over their heads. 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."

Shelter's statistics are calculated using data about temporary accommodation gathered by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, but the charity acknowledges that homelessness is difficult to accurately count, as it has so many forms.

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Many cases of homelessness go unreported. For example, those who are sofa-surfing are not included in statistics, meaning the true rate of homelessness in the North East may be far higher than 1,250. 

Mary Kelly Foy, MP for Durham City, said: "It is unsurprising that as housing costs have skyrocketed and wages and housing benefits have stagnated, that homelessness has increased. We are facing a housing affordability crisis. I see it every week in my inbox, tenants in Durham facing eviction, terrified that they cannot afford a home in the local area. All too often uprooting and destabilising families. 

"The scourge that is homelessness has been rising from the moment the Tories entered Government, yet they have been content to ignore not just those sleeping on the streets, but the thousands of hidden homeless, sofa surfing, or reliant on emergency accommodation, all deprived of the dignity, security and opportunity that a stable home brings. 

"Over the past 13 years, the Government have dragged their feet, leaving a trail of broken promises. Labour would go into government, with a dedicated homelessness strategy to tackle the problem in all its forms and complete the mission started by the last Labour government - to end homelessness for good, whilst also scrapping no-fault evictions and boosting the rights of private renters."

When approached for comment on these statistics, Richard Holden, MP for North West Durham, said: "While the North East has the lowest number of people sleeping rough, one person out on the streets is too many and I am glad that this Government is focusing both money but crucially time in working to eliminate rough sleeping.

"This year, on top of a dedicated £2 billion fund, the Government has provided local councils with £310 million specifically to tackle this issue. With price pressures hitting everyone, I'm glad that a further £65 million has been made available to prevent many from becoming homeless.                                         

"We've already seen a 43 per cent fall in the number of rough sleepers since 2018. I am determined to see that progress continue."

Andy McDonald, MP for Middlesbrough, said: "It should not have to be said that everyone deserves to have a roof over their head and somewhere they can call home.   

"This Government has done nothing to tackle the national housing crisis. We know there is not enough social housing and we need to be building affordable housing for all. The private rented sector is too often pricing out tenants and residents do not feel secure in their tenancies." 

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