Did you know that The United Kingdom is a densely populated country with an average of 244 people per square km. The total population is 58 million, 90% of which lives in urban areas. The UK has one of the highest levels of homelessness in Europe with more than 4 people per 1,000 estimated to be homeless. Homelessness in the UK can be traced back to the 1800s when industrialisation started a trend of people moving from the country to towns and cities for work. Urban areas became overcrowded, and working and living conditions deteriorated, leading to the introduction of the Work House and the Poor Law, the first social welfare legislation in the UK. During the 19th century, philanthropists and conscientious employers established the Peabody, Guinness and other trusts to provide much needed housing for workers and the poor, laying the foundations for today’s housing associations.