There are currently over 150,000 children living in temporary accommodation in England, the highest level on record.
The latest figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have been described as a “national scandal” by Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner, and said that the country is facing an “acute housing crisis”.
Temporary accommodation refers to a form of homelessness where people are living in hostels or B&Bs, and at the end of March research found that the number had grown to include 151,630 children. This represents an increase of 15% compared to the previous year and the highest figure since the measure began in 2004.
Legally, families are only allowed to be housed in an emergency for a maximum of six weeks in B&Bs, the research shows that thousands have been placed in B&B accommodation by local authorities for longer periods of time.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said thatchildren are “spending months if not years living out of suitcases, crammed into grim bedsits and B&Bs, and unable to put down any roots,” and also called on the government to “invest in genuinely affordable homes”.
Matt Downie, chief executive at the charity Crisis, said that councils are caught “between a rock and a hard place”.
“Our housing and homelessness system are broken, and councils are paying a hefty price for years of inaction.”
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner, said: “We are facing the most acute housing crisis in living memory and homelessness remains at record levels.”
“This is nothing short of a national scandal”.
