Over 120,000 children living in Britain will wake up homeless and in temporary accommodation this Christmas—the highest level since 2007.
The homelessness charity Shelter analysed Government figures and also revealed the number of families living in emergency B&B and hostel rooms has risen by 18% in just one year.
The charity added to its analysis by carrying out in-depth interviews with 25 families currently or recently living in emergency B&B’s, hostels or sofa-surfing.
More than three-quarters of the families said they felt their accommodation was unsafe, with the worst accounts involving exposure to drug abuse, fighting, and strangers sleeping in the corridors.
Shelter also discovered every family lived in a single room without any space for the children to play, and over half of the parents had to share a bed with their children.
Three-fifths of the families had to share toilet and bathroom facilities with other residents. These were often in a poor and unsanitary condition.
More than two-thirds of families told the charity their room was in a state of disrepair, including reports of mould, broken beds and stained mattresses, as well as more serious hazards like sparking electrical sockets and windows that wouldn’t close.
‘News of the devastating rise in homeless children will bring heartache to millions of people across Britain. But the sad fact is, fifty years since Shelter was founded, too many families still need our help,’ said Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter.
‘Almost daily we hear from parents desperate to escape the single cramped room of a B&B or hostel that they find themselves struggling to raise their children in.
‘Imagine having to eat all of your meals on the floor, share a bed with the rest of your family, or being too frightened to leave your room at night – these are things no parent wants their child to endure.
‘That’s why we urgently need the public’s support to help us be there for the thousands of families who’ll need us this Christmas. Join us and together we will not rest until every homeless child has a place to call home.’
