England reports record 177,530 children in temporary accommodation

The number of children in England who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation rose 5 % in the past year to 177,530, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said on Tuesday. The figure is the 18th consecutive quarterly increase, and it comes despite a drop in the number of children staying in bed‑and‑breakfasts. Total households in temporary accommodation grew almost 4 % over the same period, the ministry added.

The rise comes at a time when the government has pledged to deliver the biggest council house‑building programme since the post‑war era. Prime Minister Andy Burnham said he will build 1.5 million new homes in England during this Parliament, but analysts say the current pace is far below that target. The data also highlight the impact of Section 21 “no‑fault” evictions, which allow landlords to remove tenants without a reason. Those evictions are set to be banned from May 2026, but the current figures show the problem has not yet eased.

One family illustrates the human cost. Romesha, 31, and her two sons have lived in temporary accommodation since early 2024 after a no‑fault eviction left them homeless. They spent seven weeks in a bed‑and‑breakfast that exceeded the six‑week limit, without a kitchen or a fridge for her son’s insulin. The family moved to a cramped flat that does not meet basic needs, and the younger child, who has type‑one diabetes, has struggled to study. “It was very difficult for him to study at home,” Romesha said. She added that the instability of moving between houses has disrupted her son’s GCSE revision and that she can only offer alternatives such as a friend’s house or a library.

Housing charities are calling the figures “shameful.” Sarah Elliot, chief executive of Shelter, said that decades of policy failures have cut off the supply of affordable social homes, leaving too many children living in places that are “barely fit for a one‑night stay.” Burnham’s pledge to tackle the housing crisis will need to be backed by faster construction and better support for families in temporary housing, or the numbers of homeless children could climb further.