MPs demand action to tackle temporary accommodation crisis linked to deaths of 74 children in last five years

The Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee has called for a fundamental overhaul of temporary accommodation in England, which it says is in crisis and is leaving record high numbers of children without a permanent home.

In a report, England’s Homeless Children: The crisis in temporary accommodation, the committee also highlighted the rising costs to local councils, with local authorities spending £2.29bn on temporary accommodation in 2023/24.

More than 164,000 homeless children currently live in temporary accommodation, many in “appalling conditions”, according to the report.

The committee warned of the damaging impact of unsuitable accommodation to the development, wellbeing, education, and health of children.

It also raised safeguarding concerns around instances of children and families sharing communal facilities with strangers, including those with a history of domestic abuse.

‘Egregious hazards’ are present in some temporary accommodation, including serious damp and mould, excessive cold, and mice infestations, the report added.

Overcrowding meanwhile results in cases of older children sharing beds with their parents or siblings, and children without the floor space to crawl or learn to walk.

The committee claimed that some temporary accommodation sourced by local authorities is “of such poor quality that it may pose a severe risk to children's health”.

The MPs described data suggesting that temporary accommodation contributed to the deaths of at least 74 children, of whom 58 were under the age of one, in the last five years as "shocking".

Florence Eshalomi MP, Chair of the 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, not having basics like cots and radiator covers, not even having the space to learn to walk or crawl.

“The devastating reality is that over 164,000 children are stuck in a situation where they don’t have a permanent roof over their own head, and that many families will be stuck in so-called temporary accommodation for years. This isn’t temporary and it isn’t acceptable.”

The report’s key recommendations include:

• All local authorities in England must carry out mandatory inspections of housing before it is first used as temporary accommodation, and whenever new residents are moved in.
• The Government should establish a formalised notification system, so that a child’s school and GP are alerted when they move into temporary accommodation.
• The Government should introduce a new requirement for local authorities to notify a host authority before they make an out of area placement.
• The Government should work with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to ensure the Ombudsman has sufficient resources and powers to investigate complaints of unsuitable temporary accommodation, and take appropriate action.

The committee has also called on the Government to publish its strategy on ending homelessness by July 2025.

Cllr Adam Hug, housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said: “Every child and family deserve quality, stable accommodation, and councils strive to make sure that the necessary support is available.

“While councils endeavour to place homeless households 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 is no secret that the scale of the challenge facing local government on temporary accommodation and homelessness – and the financial pressures – are immense.”

He added: “Frozen temporary accommodation subsidy rates have left councils to pick up more than £700 million in temporary accommodation costs that they are unable to claim back from government.

“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 acknowledged that the report’s findings were “shocking”, adding “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.”

They added that the Government 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”.

Samantha Grix, partner at law firm Devonshires who represents local authorities, said: “The temporary housing crisis is at crunch point and the report brings this into sharp focus. The statistics are truly shocking and the impact on children and their families is evident.

“It could not be any clearer that a robust action plan to address the crisis is needed urgently and the government now has recommendations to use as a framework for developing this. Time is of the essence and this need to acted upon with haste.

“Ultimately, local authorities do not want those in need of housing living in temporary accommodation for any longer than necessary, but this is often outside of their control given the lack of affordable housing supply across the country. They need support and direction to allow this issue to be resolved at a central level, and the responsibility not just sit with them when they are doing their best to stay afloat.”

Calling for immediate action, Cllr Hannah Dalton, Housing Spokesperson for the District Councils Network, said it showed how the broken temporary accommodation system failed 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”.

She added that the DCN fully endorsed the committee's recommendation that the Government ensures social and genuinely affordable housing forms a substantial proportion of its 1.5 million homes target. 

"The chronic shortage of affordable housing is at the heart of this crisis, with many families unable to afford private sector rents and stuck in temporary accommodation for years. Only by addressing the root causes of the problem can we get children out of inadequate housing for good."

On the proposed mandatory requirement that councils inspect temporary accommodation before families move in, Cllr Dalton said: “While we support the principle of inspecting temporary accommodation before it's first used, we must remember that following more than a decade of austerity councils are chronically short of resources and trained housing professionals. Any move to require inspections must be fully funded and designed to ensure it doesn't impact on councils’ vital work to prevent homelessness.”

Cllr Grace Williams, London Councils’ Executive Member for Housing & Regeneration, said: “This report lays bare the dire circumstance facing many families living in temporary accommodation.

“Secure and stable housing is fundamental for education, health, and well-being. London boroughs are hugely concerned by the tens of thousands of children caught up in the capital’s homelessness emergency, and what this means for London’s next generation.”

Cllr Williams added: “In the face of a worsening shortage of affordable accommodation, boroughs increasingly find ourselves forced to use the least-worst options in order to keep a roof over the heads of homeless families. We are determined to raise standards in temporary accommodation – and to reduce the number of families reliant on it – but we need the resources and support to make this happen faster.

“There is an undeniable need for urgent action. London boroughs are fully committed to tackling homelessness and determined to work with the government in achieving this.”

See also: Managing temporary accommodation: the options - Samantha Grix sets out some potential solutions for the increased need for temporary accommodation.