Not the case today, at least in my area. Social housing is primarily now restricted to women, those with children, migrants and those who served in the military. If you're single, male and childless, the council will just tell you to not bother to apply because it will take so long, if you're lucky. That wasn't the case a couple or so decades ago.

Worse still, private landlords are starting to refuse renting their property to single people on the basis that a couple provide more financial security (two incomes) and the social stereotyping that singles cause more issues for landlords.

You can't legally claim welfare or be employed if you are not registered at a residential address.

While councils have a statutory duty to provide shelter for the unintentionally homeless, you still have all the problems above. The likelihood is that we're going to see a clampdown on homelessness via the new Criminal Justice Bill that replaces the Vagrancy Act by criminalising it and jailing the homeless!