Compared to the previous year, the number of children in the city without a permanent home has nearly doubled.
Statistics from the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government indicate that, as of the end of March, 62 households were residing in temporary housing.
30 of these homes had 57 children, compared to 30 the previous year.
With the number of children living in temporary accommodation reaching a record high, Labour labelled the homelessness situation as a “national scandal”.
A record 120,000 households nationwide were residing in transitional housing.
Concurrently, the birth rate increased by 15%, crossing 150,000 and hitting a record high since records started in 2004.
Homelessness can take the form of temporary housing, which includes staying in dorms or hostels.
The founder of Big Issue and crossbench peer Lord Bird, who has openly discussed his upbringing in poverty, called the most recent statistics “appalling” and issued a dire warning, saying that “another winter looms and there’s little being done to turn this terrible tide.”
“The days of vague taskforces addressing homelessness and flimsy cross-government initiatives are over,” he continued. This is a critical situation that needs to be addressed right now by our new government.”
As of March, one Winchester household was residing in a B&B hotel.
B&Bs can only be used by families in an emergency and for a maximum of six weeks, according to the law.
However, the proportion of child-bearing families in England has increased dramatically by 80%, from 1,810 in 2023 to 3,250 this year.
housing nonprofit Shelter stated that “tackle the housing emergency head on” is what this government needs to do.
Polly Neate, chief executive, said: “Without a clear plan to invest in genuinely affordable social homes, thousands more children will be forced to grow up in damaging temporary accommodation, spending months if not years living out of suitcases, crammed into grim bedsits and B&Bs, and unable to put down any roots.”
Angela Rayner, the housing secretary and deputy prime minister, stated: “Homelessness is still at record highs, and we are dealing with the worst housing crisis in living memory. This is a national scandal of the highest magnitude.
“This needs to be fixed immediately. For this reason, we are collaborating with local and government officials to create a long-term plan to permanently abolish homelessness.”
According to Ms. Rayner, the government would provide “the biggest increase in social and affordable homebuilding in a generation” in order to keep individuals from ever becoming homeless in the first place.
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