Lengthy stays in unsuitable B&B accommodation “very far away” from being emergency option, Children’s Commissioner warns

According to recent data on homelessness, 520 families in England had been living in a B&B for more than a year on 30 June 2025, with 30 of those families there for over five years.

Setting a target in its recent homelessness strategy, the Government set a statutory time limit of six weeks for the use of privately owned B&B accommodation for families with children.

However, the Children’s Commissioner has warned of a “concerning loophole”, as this does not extend to B&Bs that are owned by the housing authority – the council – itself.

She said: “We know that in June 2025 there were 3,350 households with children living in privately owned B&B style accommodation, and 2,150 had been there for over six weeks; until now we didn’t know how many were living in other types of temporary accommodation with shared facilities, including housing authority-owned accommodation.

“That’s why I requested the data on this issue. I can reveal for the first time that at least an additional 3,380 households with children were living in accommodation with shared facilities, in local authority owned or managed hostels, in June 2025.

“That’s another 5,930 children living in places where they have to share kitchens and bathrooms, who were previously hidden in the data.”

The Children’s Commissioner found that while 65% of children in privately owned B&B temporary accommodation had been there for longer than the six-week limit, this is even higher at 90% for children in local authority-owned hostels, where the limit does not currently apply.

In a blog post published last week, Dame Rachel warned: “As the target in the homelessness strategy – to end the use of B&Bs for families for over six weeks – now stands, there is a real risk that children will just be moved from one form of shared accommodation to another.”

The Children’s Commissioner therefore called on Government to:

• Amend the definition of B&B accommodation as set out in The Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2003 to include accommodation owned or managed by housing authorities, social landlords and charities;
• Change the target in its homelessness strategy to end the use of all forms of shared accommodation for longer than six weeks – not just privately owned B&Bs;
• Collect and publish the data on an ongoing basis illustrating how many children are living in shared accommodation, and for what period of time regardless of ownership type. This includes disaggregating data on children in hostels from those in refuges.

Lottie Winson