On average across London there is now one homeless child in every classroom, reports Noah Vickers, Local Democracy Reporter

credit Teresita Biafore via Unsplash — credit Teresita Biafore on Unsplash

Homeless children are in some cases spending their entire childhoods in temporary accommodation (TA) across London and are even living alongside pensioners well into their 90s, according to a new report.

Research by the community organising charity Citizens UK has also found that people living in TA often “cannot access basic amenities – a toilet, washing machine, somewhere to cook a nutritious meal – because of the barriers imposed on them”.

More than 70,000 homeless households in London are currently living in TA provided by their local council, government data shows – with the largest numbers found in Newham (6,667 households), Lambeth (4,657) and Southwark (3,828). Enfield currently has the tenth-highest number in London, with 3,088 families in TA.

Increasing often, the accommodation takes the form of a hostel or budget hotel room with limited facilities.

Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to the capital’s councils show that one family with children has been living in TA in Croydon since 1998. The same is true of another family with children in Brent since 2000. Meanwhile, some single-person households have been staying in TA even longer, including one person in Haringey who has been officially homeless since at least 1983 – a period of more than 40 years.

“The median household in TA is a parent in their twenties, thirties or forties with one or two children,” the report states. Yet “behind these medians are young children at one end of the spectrum and vulnerable elderly people in their 90s at the other,” it adds. “In all cases of TA, but particularly in those cases, they are denied their dignity.”

The FOI data shows that Brent and Tower Hamlets are each supporting at least one homeless 97-year-old in TA, while the oldest TA resident in Newham is 96, and in Kingston-upon-Thames is 95.

Where a local authority is unable to accommodate a family, they are sent outside of the borough, and sometimes out of London altogether. Citizens UK’s research found that the city’s councils place on average 43% of households outside of their boundaries, but some of London’s most affluent authorities place significantly higher percentages.

“Bromley, Richmond-upon-Thames and Merton are among the least disadvantaged, but place some of the highest percentages of their residents outside of their boundaries at over 75%,” the report states. It adds that households in Ealing are sent as far as Newcastle, families in Redbridge as far as Wakefield, and Wandsworth residents as far as Gwynedd.

Enfield Council has regularly sent its homeless families to live in places such as Hartlepool and Durham since 2023.

“Temporary accommodation should be a lifeline for those who need it, not a trap,” said Emmanuel Gotora, assistant director at Citizens UK.

“This research sheds light on the harsh realities that people living in temporary accommodation face daily. Families spend years, and even decades, in accommodation that is supposed to act as a springboard into a stable home.

“For many, basic necessities such as access to cooking facilities, washing and drying clothes, and storing belongings are not being met. No-one should have to live this way, and no child should be growing up without the security of a home that meets all of their needs.

“We need urgent action to deal with this crisis. The government must step up and set national standards to ensure people can live with dignity across the country.”

Responding, a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “The government inherited a serious housing crisis which is why we are taking urgent and decisive action to end homelessness, fix the foundations of local government and drive forward our Plan for Change.

“We are providing £1bn for crucial homelessness services this year so councils can support families faster, including an extra £78m for London than the previous government.

“Alongside this we are also tackling the root causes by building 1.5m new homes and boosting social and affordable housing, as well as delivering safe housing for temporary accommodation tenants and abolishing Section 21 ’no fault’ evictions through the Renters’ Rights Bill.”

The government adds that it has also launched a series of ‘emergency accommodation reduction pilots’, backed by £8m, and is working with 20 councils with the highest levels of B&B use for temporary accommodation, to support them move families into “more suitable accommodation”.

Grace Williams, London Councils’ executive member for housing, said: “London is the epicentre of the worsening homelessness emergency, with the capital accounting for over half of all households in temporary accommodation in England.

“Homelessness has a devastating impact on too many Londoners. In the face of a chronic shortage of affordable accommodation, boroughs increasingly find ourselves forced to use the least-worst options to keep a roof over the heads of homeless families. We are determined to raise standards in temporary accommodation – and to reduce the number of families reliant on it – but we need the resources and support to make this happen faster.

“Boroughs are seeking urgent government action to tackle the fundamental factors behind homelessness – particularly through investing far more in affordable housing.”

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.