Bucks Council confirms 'noticeable increase' in people living in their cars
A growing number of people across Buckinghamshire are now living in cars, vans and other vehicles.
Buckinghamshire Council’s cabinet member for housing, Cllr Mark Winn, said the authority has seen a “noticeable increase” in the number of families and individuals living in cars.
Housing charity Crisis estimates more than 18,000 people in England alone sleep in vehicles or tents. With no official figures, experts say numbers could be even higher.
It comes as Beaconsfield took the top spot as the least affordable town in the UK, with an average house price of more than £1 million, costing more than 15 times average household earnings.
Zoopla compared average house values and based affordability calculations on a two-earner household on full-time local earnings.
Other towns that are least affordable to average earners included Gerrards Cross, Amersham, Marlow and Great Missenden all located in Bucks.
The average monthly private rent in Buckinghamshire was £1,422 in October 2025. This was an increase from £1,373 in October 2024, a 3.6 per cent rise.
Cllr Winn said: “This has been managed proactively, resulting in positive outcomes through close collaboration with both internal teams and external partners. These efforts have also strengthened relationships with key multi-agency stakeholders.”
The rise comes against the backdrop of a national cost-of-living crisis, which housing campaigners warn is forcing more people into unconventional and insecure living arrangements.