MPs call for urgent action to end child deaths linked to temporary accommodation
Councils must be required to regularly inspect temporary accommodation for homeless families to prevent dangerous conditions contributing to more than one child death a month, MPs have said.
In response to official data showing the state of some placements played a role in the deaths of 74 children in the last five years, a cross-party committee of MPs said it is 'appalling' that many councils do not conduct checks before placing families in such settings.
The committee also highlighted that schools, GPs and other public bodies are often not notified when children become homeless or move schools after being placed in temporary accommodation, leaving them vulnerable to a lack of support and monitoring.
A crisis in temporary accommodation in England has left record numbers of children without a permanent home and many are living in 'appalling conditions, with significant impacts to their health and education', the Commons Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee said.
The report highlights the damaging consequences of poor quality accommodation on the development, wellbeing, education and health of children, including the safeguarding risks of children and families sharing communal facilities with strangers – some of whom have a history of domestic abuse.
The report also said some settings are blighted by 'egregious hazards', including damp and mould, excessive cold, mice infestations and overcrowding, leading to some older children sharing beds with their parents or siblings, and younger ones having limited space to crawl and learn to walk.
The National Child Mortality Database, which is funded by the NHS, showed living conditions in temporary accommodation have contributed to the deaths 74 children in England, including 58 babies under the age of one.
When the data was published in January, Dame Siobhain McDonagh, chairwoman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Households in Temporary Accommodation, described the figures as 'shocking'.
The figures represented 'more than one (death) every month… in the fifth largest economy in the world', she added.
The committee also highlighted rising costs to local councils of providing temporary accommodation, with local authorities spending a combined £2.29 billion in 2023/24.
Hannah Dalton, housing spokeswoman for the District Councils' Network, said: 'This harrowing report exposes how the broken temporary accommodation system fails children – not just in the inner cities, but in all corners of the country where the shortage of affordable housing is having a dire impact.
'The shocking revelation that temporary accommodation has contributed to 74 children's deaths in five years demands immediate action.
'This crisis is not just devastating for families, it's making council finances unsustainable, with district council spending on temporary accommodation more than tripling in just five years.'
The latest figures showed the number of children in temporary accommodation hit a record high of 164,040 as of the end of September.
The number has risen 15% in a year and is the highest since records for this measure began in 2004.
The number of households in temporary accommodation was also at a record high of 126,040, having increased 16% in a year.
There were 5,400 households with children living in bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) by the end of September last year – a rise of 15% in a year.
Some 3,470 households with children had been in B&Bs for more than the six-week limit.
By law, B&Bs are meant to be used only for families in an emergency, and for no longer than six weeks.
Florence Eshalomi, Labour chairwoman of the committee, said the Government must take urgent action to prevent further suffering and loss of life.
She said: 'It is utterly shameful that so many families are living in B&Bs, bedsits and hotels that are completely unsuitable to their needs; having to travel for hours simply to get to school or work, not having basics like cots and radiator covers, not even having the space to learn to walk or crawl.
'Beyond the appalling impact on children and families, this crisis doesn't deliver value for money for taxpayers.
'Councils in London alone are spending £4 million a day on this form of accommodation, while billions are spent nationwide every year. That's why our solution to the housing crisis must include enough social housing and genuinely affordable homes to ensure every child has a permanent place to call home.'
The committee also said the Government should introduce a new requirement for councils to notify a host authority before they place a family in their area.
These placements are described as having 'a devastating impact on families, leaving them far from their extended family, friends, and support network, and causing disruption to children's education'.
The local government and social care ombudsman should have sufficient resources and powers to investigate complaints about temporary accommodation and take appropriate action, the committee said as it noted a 'striking rise' in the number of families placed in B&B temporary accommodation for more than six weeks unlawfully.
It also called on the Government to publish its strategy on ending homelessness by July 2025 to help ensure 'meaningful progress' towards tackling the crisis in temporary accommodation during this Parliament.
Responding to the report, Matt Downie, chief executive of the charity Crisis, said it reveals the 'reality of our broken housing and homelessness system' and the 'profound and long-lasting impact' on people.
He said that he agreed with the committee's view that the Government's decision to re-freeze housing benefit is a 'false economy' that will make renting unaffordable for more families and push them out of the private rented sector and into homelessness.
Mr Downie added: 'To ensure fewer children grow up homeless the Westminster Government must restore housing benefit so that it reflects the true cost of renting and invest in the 90,000 social homes we need each year.'
Adam Hug, housing spokesman for the Local Government Association, said: 'It is no secret that the scale of the challenge facing local government on temporary accommodation and homelessness – and the financial pressures – are immense.
'Government needs to use the upcoming Spending Review to ensure that councils are sufficiently resourced, including by urgently increasing the temporary accommodation subsidy.'
A Government spokesperson said: 'These findings are shocking and that is why we are taking urgent action to fix the broken system we inherited, investing nearly £1 billion in homelessness services this year to help families trapped in temporary accommodation.
'Alongside this, we are developing a long-term strategy to tackle homelessness, driving up housing standards and delivering the biggest boost in social and affordable homes in a generation.'
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