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BBC News
04-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Homelessness: Too many children in temporary housing say MPs
A group of MPs has described the number of children in temporary accommodation as "shameful".The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee has produced a report 'England's Homeless Children: The crisis in temporary accommodation'.The group, made up of MPs from different political parties, highlighted some of the poor conditions children are living in and outlined what they want the government and councils to do to tackle it. Temporary accommodation is a form of is short-term accommodation for people who are waiting for a longer term place to live. It includes people living in hostels or bed and breakfasts, also known as B&Bs.A government spokesperson said "the government is investing nearly £1 billion in homelessness services this year", as well as "developing a long-term strategy to tackle homelessness". Figures released last month showed there were just over 164,000 children living in temporary accommodation in England. The committee said many of these children are "living in appalling conditions, with significant impacts to their health and education".Florence Eshalomi, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee 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."In the Newsround Special on homelessness, No Place to Call Home, released in May 2024 we heard from Alice, living in temporary accommodation, who had moved five times in less than a year. She described the conditions in one of the B&Bs where she had lived: "There was mould on the walls, the walls were damp. I would have to share a bed with my mum."Alice told Newsround she had panic attacks because she didn't have anywhere else to go. The report gave a number of recommendations for the government and councils:Councils in England must inspect the conditions of temporary accommodation used to house families. Currently many councils do not carry out regular inspections of the conditions of temporary accommodation used to house families, which the report states is "unacceptable".The government to make a system that alert a child's school and their GP when they move into temporary accommodation. The committee said because schools and GPs often don't know what children in their care are going through, they are unable to give extra support and help. A council must try to give people in accommodation in their area, but due to the demand for temporary accommodation sometimes councils place people in other areas - away from their schools, friends and Local Government Association, which represents most of the councils in England, said councils try to place homeless families in their home area."Sometimes the decision is made to do an out of area placement, due to availability of housing stock or other factors," it said. Alice, who spoke to Newsround last year for the special programme on homelessness, said because her temporary accommodation is far from where she used to live she has to get up very early to get to school on also said she missed out on some activities. "I can't do after school clubs at school because it would take too much time to go there and back".The committee heard of cases which included a family from North London being placed in North Manchester about 200 miles away, and a family from Oldham in Greater Manchester being placed in Hastings - a seaside town in East MPs also called on the government to require councils to inform the host council - where people are being moved to - before they make an 'out-of-area' placement. Currently the requirement is that the council informs the host council only after the placement is made.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Angela Rayner sent urgent letter as MPs declare 'national emergency'
England is experiencing a rough sleeping 'emergency' and the rising number of people sleeping rough is a 'source of national shame', MPs have said. The number of people sleeping rough is not only high but has increased in recent years, an inquiry has found. Florence Eshalomi, chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee, said: 'The shocking levels of rough sleeping on our streets should be a source of national shame. The seriousness of the rough sleeping emergency must act as a spur to government action which prioritises prevention and which brings forward the right investment and support to fix this crisis.' Increasing cost of rents is being exacerbated by historical decisions to freeze the Local Housing Allowance, the prevalence of Section 21 'no-fault' evictions, and by the five-week wait for the first Universal Credit payment 'which can further entrench poverty", the committee was told by witnesses, including council and homeless charity representatives. READ MORE: Police apologise for 'early morning wake up' after helicopter sent to Tesco READ MORE: Heartbroken parents of toddler Genevieve Meehan killed at nursery 'still searching for answers' The inquiry heard that charities and local authorities often struggle to house people presenting as homeless because they do not have access to sufficient accommodation to house everyone. Councils described a situation where the stock of housing available to them has dwindled over the decades due to their inability to replace homes 'lost' to the private rented sector as a result of the Right to Buy policy, according to the committee. And today, the national cross-party committee has sent a letter to Angela Rayner, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, and Rushanara Ali, Minister for Homelessness and Democracy, published today (Friday). The letter calls for a series of steps the committee says the government could take to turn the tide on rough sleeping. 'The success of the 'Everyone In' policy during the pandemic shows it's possible to end rough sleeping,' continued the committee chair. 'Building more social and genuinely affordable housing will be crucial to any long-term solution but we must also address the immediate housing need for those who are rough sleeping. 'We must also improve the delivery of joined-up support for those with long-standing health and addiction issues to help them get back on their feet. 'I urge the Inter-Ministerial Group on Tackling Homelessness and Rough Sleeping to take on board the Committee's recommendations and to deliver on the Government's commitment to turn the tide on homelessness'. In Manchester, rough sleeping hit the headlines just this week when a homeless camp in St Peter's Square was ordered to be removed after the council won a crucial court ruling. The local authority said all of those living in the camp 'have been accommodated' by the council. And the committee is urging the government to take concrete steps to address the national 'emergency', including bringing forward measures to help people sustain tenancies in the face of rising rents and the broader cost of living crisis, including ending Section 21 evictions through the passage of the Renters' Rights Bill as soon as possible. The committee has also recommended the government review the welfare assistance that those on low incomes can receive, including ensuring that Universal Credit (UC) payments meet the costs of essentials, and that the Government looks to end the 5-week waiting period for those in receipt of UC. The committee says its emphasis on prioritising funding for prevention leads it to recommend a shift to a smaller number of longer-term funding streams, which should be more cost-effective and enable councils to better plan support services. To help address the dwindling housing stock, the committee has recommended the building of more social and genuinely affordable housing as part of its ambition to build 1.5 million new homes, suggesting the government consider including a specific sub-target for these types of tenures. 'The committee also proposes the government set out a plan specifically for the rejuvenation of supported housing to help support individuals away from the streets and into permanent tenancies. Additionally, the Committee recommends restoring funding for supported housing services previously provided by the Supporting People programme,' said a committee spokesperson. 'The committee's inquiry looked at previous approaches to tackle rough sleeping and the effectiveness of initiatives such as the 'Housing First' strategy, and comes forward with recommendations on access to support, joined-up working, and on collecting robust data to help deliver better services to prevent rough sleeping and mitigate its impacts. 'Finally, the Committee recommends the Government review the appropriateness of guidance which councils have regard to when fulfilling their statutory housing duties, including the use of the concept of 'intentional homelessness'; local connection tests and priority needs assessments. It does so having heard evidence of some councils using these as a way to 'gatekeep' much needed support from those at risk of sleeping rough.' A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: 'We have inherited the worst housing crisis in living memory, which is why we are taking urgent and decisive action to end homelessness for good. 'We recently tripled the winter pressures funding to £30 million this year, helping councils support the most vulnerable, while also tackling the root causes of homelessness by committing £1 billion in additional support for homelessness services and emergency accommodation' 'This is part of our Plan for Change, delivering 1.5 million new homes, including the social and affordable housing this country needs, and changing the law to abolish Section 21 'no fault' evictions.'
