Children in temporary accommodation hits record high in England
New government figures show homeless children in temporary housing rose to 177,530, prompting severe criticism from housing charities over the ongoing crisis.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- The number of homeless children in temporary housing in England reached 177,530, up 5% in a year.
- January to March marked the 18th consecutive quarterly increase in these figures.
- A mother and her children spent seven weeks in a B&B, exceeding the six-week legal limit.
- The government faces scrutiny as it struggles to meet its target of building 1.5 million new homes.
The population of homeless children residing in temporary accommodation across England has climbed by 5% over the course of a single year, reaching a record-breaking total of 177,530, according to newly released government statistics.
Official records from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government revealed that the period from January to March marked the 18th consecutive quarterly rise in these figures. Although the total number of children living specifically in bed and breakfast accommodations experienced a decline, the overall household count dependent on temporary housing grew by nearly 4% annually.
Ronesha, a 31-year-old registered carer living in North London with her two sons, found herself unhoused in 2024 following a no-fault eviction. Unable to afford private market rentals and facing stringent guarantor demands from social landlords, her family was placed into a B&B facility.
They remained in the B&B for seven weeks—surpassing the legal six-week restriction—without proper cooking facilities or a refrigeration unit required to keep her younger son's diabetes medication safe, prior to moving into their current cramped flat.
"Living in temporary accommodation has taken a huge toll on my family."
Ronesha
Her younger child deals with type one diabetes and complex needs. The constant nighttime beeping of his glucose monitoring device frequently wakes his older brother, disrupting his revision sessions for upcoming GCSE examinations in their confined living space.
This ongoing crisis highlights deep systemic failures within the UK housing market, exacerbated by Section 21 no-fault evictions—scheduled to be banned in May 2026—and a severe shortage of affordable social housing supply. While Prime Minister Andy Burnham has promised an expansive council house-building initiative, current delivery rates fall short of meeting the administration's ambitious housing pledges.
Charity leaders point out that children enduring years in substandard temporary housing face long-term developmental and educational setbacks, making structural housing reform an urgent political priority.
Sarah Elliot, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, strongly condemned the situation, stating that it is shameful for a record number of children to grow up without a permanent home due to decades of political inaction that severely choked off affordable social housing supply.
Government data noted that households with children residing in B&Bs dropped by half over the year leading to March, with roughly 1,000 households having exceeded the six-week statutory limit. In response to the broader crisis, the administration has pledged an additional £340 million aimed at eradicating rough sleeping.
Source: BBC Politics
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