Digital Poverty Alliance
 Printable version
|
DPA publishes policy brief on digital poverty and homelessness
More of the support available to people experiencing homelessness is now reached online, while the basics needed to get online can be hard to hold onto without stable housing.
The Digital Poverty Alliance’s (DPA) new policy brief on digital poverty and homelessness looks at that gap. Housing advice, Universal Credit, GP appointments, employment support and school communication may all depend on a working phone, enough data, Wi-Fi, privacy and confidence online. People sleeping rough or living in temporary accommodation cannot always assume any of these.
Around 9 in 10 people experiencing homelessness rely on smartphones to get online, while only 6 in 10 own one. A phone may be needed to contact a support worker, search for a local service, check a benefits account or keep in touch with family. It may also be too expensive to repair or replace. Data can run out. Charging may depend on whether a library, café or day centre is open. A handset can be stolen because it has value, or sold because someone needs money to get through the day.
In 2025, nearly 5,000 people were sleeping rough, a 91% increase from 2021, while more than 350,000 people were experiencing homelessness across the UK.
Temporary accommodation brings the same pressure into family life. Around 176,000 children in England are living in temporary accommodation, the highest number on record. Moves between hostels, B&Bs and short-term lets can disrupt internet access and limit the technology available for schoolwork. Parents may face similar problems when trying to manage healthcare, welfare or employment support.
Elizabeth Anderson, CEO, Digital Poverty Alliance, said the brief makes clear that digital exclusion can decide whether support is reachable at all. “If a person cannot keep a phone charged, afford data, or get online safely, services may exist but still remain out of reach. Homelessness policy has to recognise that digital access is now part of how people find and use help.”
Digital exclusion should not be treated as separate from homelessness. If people are expected to reach support online, policy and services must recognise the conditions that make access possible.
Original article link: https://digitalpovertyalliance.org/news-updates/dpa-publishes-policy-brief-on-digital-poverty-and-homelessness/
