Child homelessness has surged by 80 per cent since the Conservatives came into government in 2010, with a new household now found to be homeless every five minutes, official figures show.
Newly published data reveals 124,490 minors were housed in temporary accommodation in England at the end of 2018, marking an increase of 55,440 since the same period in 2010 and a rise of 33 per cent in the last four years.
Campaigners warned that families were being “pushed to the hard edge of the housing crisis” by “crippling private rents, frozen benefits and endless waiting lists” for social homes that “don’t exist”.
It comes amid mounting concern that cuts to housing benefit and reduced funding for homelessness services, as well as a lack of affordable homes and regulation in the private rented sector, are pushing more children into destitution.
The figures show that the number of households in temporary accommodation stood at 83,700 in December 2018, marking a 74 per cent rise since 2010. Around three-quarters of these families include children.
More than one in five (21 per cent) households found to be homeless or threatened with homelessness lost their last settled home due to the ending of a private rented tenancy.
The government figures also show that within this group, there has been a considerable surge in families with children living in B&Bs, with the number increasing from 660 to 2,420 – a 267 per cent rise – between 2010 and 2018.
The number of young people who have been in B&Bs for more than six weeks is up by 440 per cent in the same period, from 150 to 810.
Shadow housing minister Alex Cunningham said the “shameful” rise in homeless children stuck in temporary accommodation would be the “legacy of this failed Conservative government”.
“Rising homelessness is a crisis of the Tories’ own making as we’ve seen investment in the number of low-cost homes to buy and rent tumble,” he added. “Add to that cuts in housing benefit, reduced funding for homelessness services and a private rental sector lacking any real protections and we know why so many are being let down.”
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “It’s impossible to ignore the frightening levels of homelessness in England right now. Hundreds of thousands of people are desperate for help, from those sleeping on the street to families trapped in emergency B&Bs.
“More people are being pushed to the hard edge of the housing crisis by crippling private rents, frozen benefits, and endless waiting lists for social homes that don’t exist. It’s clear this is a national emergency that won’t go away on its own – real change must happen now.
1/10 Sleeping rough up 165% from 2010
The total number of people counted or estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2018 was 4,677, up 2,909 people or 165% from the 2010 total of 1,768
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2/10 London rough sleepers up 13%
The number of people sleeping rough increased by 146 or 13% in London since 2017
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3/10 London accounted for 27% of people sleeping rough in England
London accounted for 27% of the total number of people sleeping rough in England. This is up from 24% of the England total in 2017
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4/10 64% of rough sleeps UK nationals
64% were UK nationals, compared to 71% in 2017
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5/10 14% of rough sleepers are women
14% of the people recorded sleeping rough were women, the same as in 2017
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6/10
6% were aged 25 years or under, compared to 8% in 2017
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7/10 Thousands of families staying in temporary housing
Almost 79,000 families were staying in temporary housing in the last three months of 2017 because they didn’t have a permanent home, compared with 48,010 in the same period eight years before
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8/10 Reduction in families living in temporary housing before Coalition government
There had been a significant reduction in families living in such conditions before the Coalition government came into power, with the number having fallen by 52 per cent between 2004 and 2010 under the Labour government
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9/10 Families staying in temporary has risen since
But the figure has crept up in each of the past seven years, from 69,140 in the last quarter of 2015, to 75,740 in the same period in 2016 and 78,930 at the end of last year
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10/10 Nearly 58,000 families accepted as homeless (2018)
Nearly 58,000 families have been accepted as homeless by their local council in the past year (as of March 2018), equating to an increase of 8 per cent over the last five years
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1/10 Sleeping rough up 165% from 2010
The total number of people counted or estimated to be sleeping rough on a single night in autumn 2018 was 4,677, up 2,909 people or 165% from the 2010 total of 1,768
Getty
2/10 London rough sleepers up 13%
The number of people sleeping rough increased by 146 or 13% in London since 2017
AFP/Getty
3/10 London accounted for 27% of people sleeping rough in England
London accounted for 27% of the total number of people sleeping rough in England. This is up from 24% of the England total in 2017
Getty
4/10 64% of rough sleeps UK nationals
64% were UK nationals, compared to 71% in 2017
AFP/Getty
5/10 14% of rough sleepers are women
14% of the people recorded sleeping rough were women, the same as in 2017
Getty
6/10
6% were aged 25 years or under, compared to 8% in 2017
AFP/Getty
7/10 Thousands of families staying in temporary housing
Almost 79,000 families were staying in temporary housing in the last three months of 2017 because they didn’t have a permanent home, compared with 48,010 in the same period eight years before
Getty
8/10 Reduction in families living in temporary housing before Coalition government
There had been a significant reduction in families living in such conditions before the Coalition government came into power, with the number having fallen by 52 per cent between 2004 and 2010 under the Labour government
AFP/Getty
9/10 Families staying in temporary has risen since
But the figure has crept up in each of the past seven years, from 69,140 in the last quarter of 2015, to 75,740 in the same period in 2016 and 78,930 at the end of last year
Getty
10/10 Nearly 58,000 families accepted as homeless (2018)
Nearly 58,000 families have been accepted as homeless by their local council in the past year (as of March 2018), equating to an increase of 8 per cent over the last five years
Getty
“The bottom line is that you can’t solve homelessness without building homes people can actually afford to live in. So, if housing really is the government’s top domestic issue, it needs to get serious about a new generation of social homes – 3.1 million to be exact. And, in the meantime, increase housing benefit so that it at least covers the basic cost of private rent.”
The Local Government Association said the increasing use of temporary accommodation was ”not only financially unsustainable” for councils but “hugely disruptive” for families placed in such accommodation.
“Many councils are struggling to cope with rising homelessness and to find suitable accommodation for those in need,” said a spokesperson.
“With homelessness services facing a funding gap of more than £100m in 2019/20 and £421m by 2024/25, the government needs to use its upcoming spending review to sustainably fund homelessness prevention.”
James Brokenshire, the communities secretary, said: “Everyone deserves a safe and secure place to live, and we are committed to reducing all forms of homelessness.
“Today’s figures show encouraging signs that the Homelessness Reduction Act is making a real difference in providing vulnerable people with the support they need, and at an earlier stage.
“But we know there is more to do, which is why we’re investing £1.2bn to tackle homelessness, including £100m for rough sleeping, as well as empowering councils to build more council homes to ensure everyone has a safe and secure home to call their own.”
The independent
