Thousands of children are spending the summer holidays in temporary accommodation due to a national shortage of affordable housing, local authority leaders warned over the weekend.
The latest figures for England show that there are 119,840 children living in temporary accommodation, including 1,700 households with children in bed and breakfasts.
The Local Government Association (LGA) on Saturday urged the Government to adopt a number of measures to increase the supply of affordable homes and to help reduce the number of children in temporary accommodation.
Among the measures proposed, the LGA called for councils to be given more powers to acquire empty homes, including making it easier to use Compulsory Purchase Orders to buy properties.
The association also called on the Government to ensure there was more protection through the mainstream benefits system. This includes restoring and retaining the LHA rate at the lowest third of market rents and ensuring that Universal Credit and other key benefits are uprated in line with rising inflation.
The LGA also said that while the Household Support Fund is enabling councils to provide some much-needed crisis help, the short-term, prescriptive nature of the funding makes it hard for councils to offer sustainable support.
Cllr David Renard, LGA housing spokesperson, said: ‘Living in temporary accommodation can cause great disruption for children and families. After two years of disruption to our children’s education and social development, it is crucial we make addressing the chronic housing shortage a priority.
‘As well as looking to find suitable housing for those already homeless, we also must ensure everything possible is being done to combat the rising cost of living and prevent further homelessness, which will inevitably lead to more children in temporary accommodation.
‘We have identified eight points to give councils a better chance of being able to help homeless children to find permanent accommodation and minimise the risk of other households becoming homeless as a result of the rising cost of living.
‘This includes ensuring the welfare system is able to support families facing hardship and increasing the housing supply available to councils, as well as powers for councils to acquire empty properties and build much-needed social housing.
‘The Government’s upcoming cross-departmental rough sleeping strategy must also look at wider homelessness issues, including family homelessness, and consider the impact the cost-of-living crisis is expected to have on homelessness services.’
