Latest news with #CitizensUK
BBC News
24-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
London temporary accommodation is in dire state, says charity
"He was asking questions about why we were moving again."Khadija, a mum from south London, recalls how she struggled to answer the questions her son asked her when they were living in temporary accommodation. "Why we were sharing accommodation with others, why he had no space to play, I kept pretending everything was normal and we would get our place one day and be finally happy."I kept spending lots of time outside in coffee shops to stay warm and to avoid my son getting dirty playing outside as we had no laundry available." 'Broken system' Khadija's experience is highlighted in a new report from Citizens UK and Trust for London that reveals the "dire state" of temporary accommodation in in 49 Londoners are homeless and in temporary accommodation. The report says thousands of families are trapped in what it describes as "a broken system", and are going without cooking facilities, somewhere to wash clothes, reliable internet and storage for a result children can face long journeys to school, parents are cut off from support networks, and under-resourced local services struggle to cope with rising than 70,000 homeless households in London are currently living in temporary residences provided by their local council, often a hostel or budget hotel room with limited has the highest number, 6,667, followed by Lambeth with 4,657 and Southwark with 3,828. Freedom of Information requests to the capital's councils show that one family with children has been living in temporary accommodation in Croydon since UK's research found that London's councils place on average 43% of households outside of their boundaries, but some of London's most affluent authorities place significantly higher Richmond upon Thames and Merton are among the least disadvantaged areas but place some of the highest percentages of their residents outside their boundaries at more than 75%.By contrast Brent and Barking and Dagenham councils, which have high levels of deprivation, place 6% of their households in temporary accommodation outside their boundaries. 'Devastating impact' The cost of storing belongings is also highlighted in the report with some people travelling miles to access items and others accruing debt to maintain the Council charges households £130 before belongings can be taken into storage and £40 thereafter if households wish to access them. In Enfield, households are subject to a £30 charge each time they access their Williams, London Councils' executive member for housing, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "London is the epicentre of the worsening homelessness emergency, with the capital accounting for over half of all households in temporary accommodation in England."Homelessness has a devastating impact on too many Londoners. "In the face of a chronic shortage of affordable accommodation, boroughs increasingly find ourselves forced to use the least-worst options to keep a roof over the heads of homeless families."She added: "Boroughs are seeking urgent government action to tackle the fundamental factors behind homelessness – particularly through investing far more in affordable housing."A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: "The government inherited a serious housing crisis which is why we are taking urgent and decisive action to end homelessness, fix the foundations of local government and drive forward our Plan for Change."Citizens UK is calling for the establishment of a Right to Wash, encouraging local authorities to support households to wash and dry their clothing and to stop charging them to use laundry campaign group also calls on councils not to work with third-party storage providers that charge for access.
South Wales Guardian
19-05-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Britons feel disconnected from society and lack faith in others
A survey of more than 13,000 British adults found 50% said they felt disconnected from society, while 44% said they sometimes felt like a 'stranger' in their own country. The findings come a week after Sir Keir Starmer argued that Britain risked becoming an 'island of strangers' if immigration did not come down. But the poll by More In Common suggested that the reasons for disconnection went beyond immigration and culture, with 47% of British Asians saying they felt like a stranger in their country – more than the 44% of white Britons who said the same thing. The survey found economic insecurity that was most closely related to alienation, with two-thirds of people who said that they struggled to make ends meet also saying they felt disconnected, compared to only 37% of the financially comfortable. Focus groups also suggested that a decline in face-to-face interaction, driven by technology, social media and working from home, had changed how people interacted with each other. Luke Tryl, director of More In Common, said the research showed 'an urgent need to think again about how we rebuild a united and cohesive society'. He added: 'The polling puts into sharp relief something that will come as no surprise to many Britons – a growing sense that we've turned inward, away from each other, becoming more distant and less connected.' The study marks the launch of a new national project – This Place Matters – focused on strengthening social bonds and backed by the UCL Policy Lab, campaign group Citizens UK and More In Common. Matthew Bolton, executive director of Citizens UK, said: 'The answers to this don't lie in Whitehall. 'By listening to people closest to the ground about what causes division and what builds unity in their neighbourhood, we can build a blueprint for cohesion rooted in local leadership and community power.' As well as increasing feelings of isolation, the poll suggested significant rates of mistrust, with 53% of people agreeing that 'you can't be too careful with most people'. But younger people were far more likely to lack trust in others, with the figure rising to 65% among 18-24-year-olds and 62% among 25-34-year-olds. The public is also split on whether multiculturalism benefits or threatens Britain's national identity, with 53% saying it is a benefit and 47% saying it is a threat, with some telling focus groups they believe there has not been enough integration. More In Common said focus groups had shown the fallout from last year's riots 'continues to reverberate and affect community cohesion', with many seeing the Prime Minister's response as 'one of his most impressive moments', but a minority feeling the Government had been 'too heavy-handed'. The More In Common poll surveyed 13,464 British adults between March 14 and April 7.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Inside the ‘abhorrent' state of UK temporary housing with one family homeless since 1998
Children are spending their whole childhoods living in temporary accommodation, with one family in homelessness housing since 1998, a report has said. In a new report into the dire state of England's temporary accommodation, Citizens UK found that councils are charging homeless people hundreds of pounds in fees to access basic services, such as storage and washing facilities. Affluent London boroughs are also moving homeless families into more deprived areas outside their boroughs, the report said. The number of families in temporary accommodation across England is at record levels, with some 165,510 children living in this precarious housing as of the end of 2024. Nearly 130,000 households now live in temporary accommodation, which includes hostels and B&Bs. Citizens UK and Trust for London researchers looked in detail at the temporary accommodation provided in London, Birmingham and Manchester. London is the epicentre of homelessness in England, with over 70,000 households in temporary accommodation. The report found that one family with children in Croydon has been living in temporary accommodation since 1998. In Westminster, another family had been in temporary accommodation since 2001, and in Brent, a household had been housed since 2003, the report said. As well as families, there has been a rise in retired people being moved into temporary accommodation. According to freedom of information data, obtained by Citizens UK, a 97-year-old from Brent had been in temporary housing for three years. A 95-year-old was in homeless housing in Kingston upon Thames, and a 91-year-old was being housed in Enfield. They also highlighted the practice of more affluent London boroughs, such as Richmond upon Thames, moving homeless families out of their area. London councils place around 43 per cent of households outside their boundaries, but in Richmond this was much higher at 75 per cent, the report found. On the other hand, Brent and Barking & Dagenham, who have a higher proportion of low-income residents, only placed 6 per cent of their temporary accommodation households outside of their area. Families are also sinking into debt because of high charges to put their belongings in storage, the research said. In Barnet, one household in temporary accommodation had accrued £8,647 in debt due to storage costs, and in Bexley, another household had accrued £7,758, they found. In Wandsworth, storage costs can add up to £240 per month, the report said. The council also told researchers that putting homeless people on a repayment plan for their debt was 'effective for clients on a low income or in receipt of benefits'. Homeless people are also being charged to use washing machines in their accommodation. In Manchester, some accommodation charges £1 for use of the washing machines, and in Newham the highest rate was £2.40 per wash and £1.90 per dry. The report calculated that, if the average household does a clothes wash 208 times a year, families in Newham could spend up to £900 annually to wash and dry their clothes. Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP, responding to the findings, said: 'The lack of social housing has culminated in a situation where one in every 49 households in London is homeless and living in temporary accommodation. 'To live in accommodation without the ability to cook meals, access the internet, store your belongings safely or even have basic access to a toilet and washing facilities is quite simply abhorrent.' A spokesperson for Croydon Council said: 'Like many councils across the country, Croydon is facing an acute shortage of affordable housing. This has sadly meant that households have remained in temporary accommodation for longer than we would want. 'We are unable to comment on individual cases, but stays of this length are extremely rare and there are many different types of temporary accommodation which include larger council homes and private sector properties.' Wandsworth cabinet member for housing, Aydin Dikerdem, said the council agreed affordable repayment plans with residents for storage. These are 'typically between £5 and 70 a month, which is below the average £145,79 a month the storage companies ask for', he said. Mr Dikerdem added: 'The upfront costs are paid by the council directly, in compliance with our duty to protect homeless families' possessions and a repayment plan is then agreed. We can also confirm that no one is paying the full charge. 'The highest debt amount for storage costs referenced in the report relates to missed payments over a number of years for one case'. A Richmond council spokesperson said they were working hard to ensure temporary accommodation was 'safe, suitable and as close to home as possible'. They added: 'Currently 64 per cent of the people experiencing homelessness we support are placed either within the borough or in neighbouring areas'. A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'We are providing £1bn for crucial homelessness services this year so councils can support families faster, including an extra £78m for London than the previous government. Alongside this we are also tackling the root causes by building 1.5 million new homes and boosting social and affordable housing.'
Glasgow Times
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Britons feel disconnected from society and lack faith in others
A survey of more than 13,000 British adults found 50% said they felt disconnected from society, while 44% said they sometimes felt like a 'stranger' in their own country. The findings come a week after Sir Keir Starmer argued that Britain risked becoming an 'island of strangers' if immigration did not come down. But the poll by More In Common suggested that the reasons for disconnection went beyond immigration and culture, with 47% of British Asians saying they felt like a stranger in their country – more than the 44% of white Britons who said the same thing. The survey found economic insecurity that was most closely related to alienation, with two-thirds of people who said that they struggled to make ends meet also saying they felt disconnected, compared to only 37% of the financially comfortable. Sir Keir Starmer said Britain risked becoming an 'island of strangers' if it did not get immigration numbers down, but a survey has suggested social disconnection is due to more than just migration (Ian Vogler/PA) Focus groups also suggested that a decline in face-to-face interaction, driven by technology, social media and working from home, had changed how people interacted with each other. Luke Tryl, director of More In Common, said the research showed 'an urgent need to think again about how we rebuild a united and cohesive society'. He added: 'The polling puts into sharp relief something that will come as no surprise to many Britons – a growing sense that we've turned inward, away from each other, becoming more distant and less connected.' The study marks the launch of a new national project – This Place Matters – focused on strengthening social bonds and backed by the UCL Policy Lab, campaign group Citizens UK and More In Common. Matthew Bolton, executive director of Citizens UK, said: 'The answers to this don't lie in Whitehall. 'By listening to people closest to the ground about what causes division and what builds unity in their neighbourhood, we can build a blueprint for cohesion rooted in local leadership and community power.' As well as increasing feelings of isolation, the poll suggested significant rates of mistrust, with 53% of people agreeing that 'you can't be too careful with most people'. But younger people were far more likely to lack trust in others, with the figure rising to 65% among 18-24-year-olds and 62% among 25-34-year-olds. The public is also split on whether multiculturalism benefits or threatens Britain's national identity, with 53% saying it is a benefit and 47% saying it is a threat, with some telling focus groups they believe there has not been enough integration. More In Common said focus groups had shown the fallout from last year's riots 'continues to reverberate and affect community cohesion', with many seeing the Prime Minister's response as 'one of his most impressive moments', but a minority feeling the Government had been 'too heavy-handed'. The More In Common poll surveyed 13,464 British adults between March 14 and April 7.
The Independent
18-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Inside the ‘abhorrent' state of UK temporary housing with one family homeless since 1998
Children are spending their whole childhoods living in temporary accommodation, with one family in homelessness housing since 1998, a report has said. In a new report into the dire state of England's temporary accommodation, Citizens UK found that councils are charging homeless people hundreds of pounds in fees to access basic services, such as storage and washing facilities. Affluent London boroughs are also moving homeless families into more deprived areas outside their boroughs, the report said. The number of families in temporary accommodation across England is at record levels, with some 165,510 children living in this precarious housing as of the end of 2024. Nearly 130,000 households now live in temporary accommodation, which includes hostels and B&Bs. Citizens UK and Trust for London researchers looked in detail at the temporary accommodation provided in London, Birmingham and Manchester. London is the epicentre of homelessness in England, with over 70,000 households in temporary accommodation. The report found that one family with children in Croydon has been living in temporary accommodation since 1998. In Westminster, another family had been in temporary accommodation since 2001, and in Brent, a household had been housed since 2003, the report said. As well as families, there has been a rise in retired people being moved into temporary accommodation. According to freedom of information data, obtained by Citizens UK, a 97-year-old from Brent had been in temporary housing for three years. A 95-year-old was in homeless housing in Kingston upon Thames, and a 91-year-old was being housed in Enfield. They also highlighted the practice of more affluent London boroughs, such as Richmond upon Thames, moving homeless families out of their area. London councils place around 43 per cent of households outside their boundaries, but in Richmond this was much higher at 75 per cent, the report found. On the other hand, Brent and Barking & Dagenham, who have a higher proportion of low-income residents, only placed 6 per cent of their temporary accommodation households outside of their area. Families are also sinking into debt because of high charges to put their belongings in storage, the research said. In Barnet, one household in temporary accommodation had accrued £8,647 in debt due to storage costs, and in Bexley, another household had accrued £7,758, they found. In Wandsworth, storage costs can add up to £240 per month, the report said. The council also told researchers that putting homeless people on a repayment plan for their debt was 'effective for clients on a low income or in receipt of benefits'. Homeless people are also being charged to use washing machines in their accommodation. In Manchester, some accommodation charges £1 for use of the washing machines, and in Newham the highest rate was £2.40 per wash and £1.90 per dry. The report calculated that, if the average household does a clothes wash 208 times a year, families in Newham could spend up to £900 annually to wash and dry their clothes. Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP, responding to the findings, said: 'The lack of social housing has culminated in a situation where one in every 49 households in London is homeless and living in temporary accommodation. 'To live in accommodation without the ability to cook meals, access the internet, store your belongings safely or even have basic access to a toilet and washing facilities is quite simply abhorrent.' A spokesperson for Croydon Council said: 'Like many councils across the country, Croydon is facing an acute shortage of affordable housing. This has sadly meant that households have remained in temporary accommodation for longer than we would want. 'We are unable to comment on individual cases, but stays of this length are extremely rare and there are many different types of temporary accommodation which include larger council homes and private sector properties.' Wandsworth cabinet member for housing, Aydin Dikerdem, said the council agreed affordable repayment plans with residents for storage. These are 'typically between £5 and 70 a month, which is below the average £145,79 a month the storage companies ask for', he said. Mr Dikerdem added: 'The upfront costs are paid by the council directly, in compliance with our duty to protect homeless families' possessions and a repayment plan is then agreed. We can also confirm that no one is paying the full charge. 'The highest debt amount for storage costs referenced in the report relates to missed payments over a number of years for one case'. A Richmond council spokesperson said they were working hard to ensure temporary accommodation was 'safe, suitable and as close to home as possible'. They added: 'Currently 64 per cent of the people experiencing homelessness we support are placed either within the borough or in neighbouring areas'. A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'We are providing £1bn for crucial homelessness services this year so councils can support families faster, including an extra £78m for London than the previous government. Alongside this we are also tackling the root causes by building 1.5 million new homes and boosting social and affordable housing.'
