Crisis responds to Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee report on children in temporary accommodation

Today (Thursday 3 April), a new report published by the cross-party Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee highlights the crisis in temporary accommodation among families with children. This comes as government data published in February showed record numbers of households are living in temporary accommodation, including more than 164,000 children.  

Responding to the report, Matt Downie, Chief Executive at Crisis, said: 

“This report lays bare the reality of our broken housing and homelessness system as hundreds of thousands of children are growing up never knowing a home of their own. Children are being robbed of their childhoods, forced to live without space to play or do their homework and having to share a bed with their siblings. The sad reality is that growing up homeless can have a profound and long-lasting impact, restricting life chances and trapping people in poverty. 

“We wholeheartedly agree with the Committee’s assessment that the re-freezing of housing benefit, which came into effect earlier this week, is a false economy. This will make renting unaffordable for more families, pushing them out of the private rented sector and into homelessness. It will pile additional pressure on already stretched local authorities and drive up the bill for temporary accommodation.  

“To ensure fewer children grow up homeless the Westminster government must restore housing benefit so that it reflects the true cost of renting and invest in the 90,000 social homes we need each year. Its upcoming strategy to end homelessness is a huge opportunity to deliver the transformative change we need. Only by honouring this can we ensure that everyone has access to a safe, stable home and build a future free from homelessness.”