According to figures released on the council’s website, 928 people were taken off the streets between February 2025 and March 2026. Additionally, the number of people sleeping rough in Luton dropped by 12% last year, and the amount of new homeless people was reduced by 30%.
Crucially, the number of families in B&B accommodation dropped from 120 to zero, creating more stability for struggling parents in the area.
These encouraging signs were welcomed by Councillor Rob Roche, Portfolio Holder for Finance, Revenue and Benefits at Luton Council. He said: “We are determined to tackle homelessness in all its forms. Ending the use of B&B accommodation for families and reducing rough sleeping are important milestones, but we know there is still more to do.
“This progress reflects the dedication of our Housing teams and the strength of our partnerships with the voluntary sector, health services and other agencies. By taking a coordinated, person-centred approach and by intervening early, investing in specialist support and working closely with partners, we are helping people move away from uncertainty and crisis and towards long-term stability.”
Specialist council funding focused on tackling homelessness was used to open three new specialist accommodation services providing constant support for people experiencing mental health challenges and substance misuse.
This has led to the latest government figures indicating that rough sleeping in Luton has fallen by 56% when compared with 2024 in what is the second-largest reduction in numbers nationally.
These figures will help people sleeping rough in Luton and surrounding areas as they attempt to overcome vagrancy, and hopefully similar positive trends will be found across the UK in the near future.
