The UK is grappling with a severe housing crisis, as over 150,000 children are currently living in temporary accommodations, according to official statistics released by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) on Thursday. The figures reveal that 151,630 children were residing in hostels or bed-and-breakfasts as of March, highlighting the acute nature of the crisis.
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner described the situation as a “national scandal” and called for urgent action to address the record levels of homelessness. The number of homeless children has increased by 15% since March 2023 and now exceeds the populations of cities such as Ipswich, Blackpool, and York.
Temporary accommodations, typically intended for emergency use only for up to six weeks, are now housing many families with children for extended periods, leading to significant instability and a lack of permanence. Polly Neate, chief executive of the housing charity Shelter, emphasized the hardship of families living out of suitcases without the ability to settle down.
Rayner’s ministry, recently reorganized from the Department for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities, is developing a long-term strategy to end homelessness, including increasing social and affordable housing, abolishing no-fault evictions, and investing millions in housing solutions. Meanwhile, the role of immigration in the crisis has not been addressed amid recent anti-immigration tensions and riots across the UK.
