The number of homeless families with children housed in B&Bs has reached its highest point for a decade, research suggests in an article in LG News
Findings from a Shelter investigation suggest 43,000 children in homeless families were living in temporary accommodation at the end of June.
Of the 2,090 homeless families housed in B&B style accommodation, over one third (760) had been living there beyond the legal limit of six weeks – a 10% increase on the previous year.
Living in B&Bs negatively affects children’s health and wellbeing, according to Shelter, with many families being forced to live in crowded and unsuitable accommodation.
Shelter warned that the £1.9m government fund released in August to tackle the use of temporary accommodation wasn’t enough to address the problem.
The housing charity has called on the Government to exempt homeless households in temporary accommodation from the household benefit cap and review rates paid for leased residences.
Shelter’s chief executive, Campbell Robb, said the findings were ‘shocking’.
Chairman of the Local Government Association’s environment and housing board, Cllr Mike Jones, said: ‘No council ever wants to place a family in bed and breakfast accommodation but, with growing demand for help and a chronic shortage of affordable housing, this is sometimes the only option available to keep a family together with a roof over their heads.
‘Shelter’s report highlights exactly why house building needs to be a national priority.
‘With more than four million people on council housing waiting lists and not enough homes to go around, action needs to be taken now to get more new affordable homes built.’
Housing minister Kris Hopkins said: ‘Families should only be placed in bed and breakfast accommodation in an emergency, and even then for no more than six weeks.
‘The funding we’ve given, and our change in the law to enable families to be placed in suitable, affordable private rented homes, means there is no excuse for councils to breach this.’