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This comment piece was written by Laura Williams, Lecturer in Social Sciences at Buckinghamshire New University. Laura’s research areas include social inequalities, homelessness, culture and urban sociology.

The number of families placed in temporary accommodation (TA) is at a record high, with figures from September 2024 highlighting that 164,040 children were residing in this accommodation alongside the rest of their household (Shelter, 2025), posing a host of issues for the individuals experiencing it and for society in general. A variety of accommodation types are used to host families experiencing homelessness whilst awaiting suitable accommodation. This can include bed and breakfasts, hostels, and hotels.

TA has been cited as a contributing factor in the deaths of 74 children in the period between April 2019 and March 2024 (APPG, 2025). A plethora of factors contribute to a reduction in quality of life for families living in these spaces. A recent study by Dall’Omo et al (2023), cites a lack of space to play as a barrier for families in TA where communal spaces indoors and outdoors are sometimes restricted. On the occasion where there are no restrictions, these communal spaces may be viewed as unsafe by caregivers due to a lack of knowledge about others who inhabit the same space. 

The study also found that play is often overlooked when housing families in TA and “four walls and a roof” are the main priority. This limits the rights of some children placed in TA going against Article 31 of the Convention of the Rights of a Child where children have the right to leisure and play (UNICEF, 2016). TA in some cases appears to restrict or prohibit the child’s ability to play when whole families are placed in a single room where space can be severely lacking.

Education and location 

Education is another key concern for families living in TA, given the upheaval and uncertainty of homelessness - families often wish to keep their school-age children in their current schools to maintain some normality (Rice, 2023; Human Rights Watch, 2022). One-third of families in TA are placed out of area causing timely and costly school journeys (Rice 2023; Shelter, 2024). The alternative for these out-of-area families is changing schools to a new school which will likely be temporary, causing disruption and upheaval for the children. 

Being placed out-of-area has far-reaching implications for families beyond schooling. Moving away from local services and severing ties between friends and family leads to reduced support systems, making the experience of living in TA isolating for families. 

Danger to life

In the All Party Parliamentary Group for Households in Temporary Accommodation, ‘call for evidence’ issues highlighted included damp; mould; vermin; a lack of adequate cooking facilities; overcrowding; lack of beds; families being placed in mixed accommodation; and, single adults who lead ‘chaotic’ lifestyles (Procter, Pratt and Wise-martin, 2023). Overcrowding and a lack of beds is a particularly detrimental aspect as this can cause co-sleeping to occur, putting infants at higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (Procter, Pratt and Wise-martin, 2023). 

All the above issues put vulnerable families at risk of further health and safeguarding issues. If a parent were to place their child in a dangerous environment there could be questions about their capacity to provide a safe environment for that child, however, when the state places children in an unsafe environment it seems to be deemed an acceptable risk. 

Only a fifth of TA is provided by council or housing associations, meaning that not only is this a costly burden to local authorities (£2.3 billion spent on TA between April 23 – March 24 (Crisis, 2024)) but, that the TA provided by for-profit landlords is often subject to less scrutiny, where repairs must be made by the for-profit landlord (Human Rights Watch, 2022). This leads to the question… should anyone be profiting from homelessness - particularly, those who provide an inadequate service, leading to a reduction in quality of life for families placed in TA? 

What needs to change?

A clear need for change in the way families experiencing homelessness are handled, Labour has stated that councils will be receiving a £1 billion cash injection to reduce and prevent homelessness (GOV.UK, 2024). Only time will tell how effective this will be at improving the lives of these families who face undue certainty around their futures. A host of options could be explored to improve the circumstances of families who unfortunately find themselves homeless including a housing first policy, increasing the social housing stock, rent caps, or improved tenants’ rights and great work is being done by voices such as Vicki Spratt and Kwajo Tweneboa in highlighting this ongoing crisis in the housing sector. 

Solutions

Firstly, the improvement in tenants’ rights under the Renters’ Rights Bill in England due to receive Royal Assent in Summer 2025 intends to improve the rights of families living in private rented accommodation, acting as a preventative measure to homelessness. The bill has various aspects that will support families, such as abolishing Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 (‘no-fault evictions’), meaning landlords will have to evict tenants under Section 8 of the Housing Act 1988; this means landlords must cite specific grounds for the eviction. 

Another aspect that will support families in private-rented accommodation is rent hikes, these are sometimes being used as a backdoor method of evicting tenants, making the rent unaffordable, tenants are then forced to leave the property and seek more affordable accommodation, sometimes leading to homelessness. The Renters’ Rights Bill would seek to stop this practice by limiting rent increases.

The second solution is to create a larger stock of social housing. Social housing tenancies are often sought after for being affordable, with secure tenancies. A larger stock of social housing would mean that when evictions happen, there would be secure social housing for families to move into. This may not seem like a quick fix, however, many houses in England sit empty long-term and could be acquired by councils and social housing providers in a plan put forth by Bloomer et al (2024). This would involve investment from central government to acquire these properties. 

However, considering that the bill for TA is so high, it seems logical that to save on housing costs long-term, investment in social housing is required. Not to mention the social aspect, where children will no longer be forced to eat, sleep, and play in the same room should their families find themselves homeless. Building more social housing might be a long-term solution, but it seems making use of homes that already exist is a faster and more sustainable solution to the homelessness crisis that we are experiencing.

Whilst we do no not know what the future holds with the proposed cash injection from Labour and Renters’ Rights Bill. One sure thing is that one child death where temporary accommodation is cited as a factor is one too many and change must happen in this sector to protect the rights of children and adults in England.

References

APPG. (2025) Child Mortality in Temporary Accommodation. [online] All Party Parliamentary Group for Households in Temporary Accommodation. Available at:

Bloomer, S., Matthews, W., Galarza-Mullins, V., and Trew, C. (2024) Home Again: A 10-City Plan to rapidly convert empty homes into social rent homes. [online] Shelter. Available at:

Crisis. (2024) Council spending on emergency accommodation tops £2.2bn. [online] Available at:

Dall’Omo, L., Johnson A.P., Yaseen, S., Lakhanpaul, M., and Lewis, C. (2023) A Place to Play Children’s Play Needs in England’s Temporary Housing. [online] Reach Alliance. Available at:

GOV.UK (2024) Largest ever cash boost to turn the tide on homelessness. [online] Available at:

Human Rights Watch. (2022) “I Want Us to Live Like Humans Again” Families in Temporary Accommodation in London, UK. [Online] Available at:

Procter, A., Pratt, S., and Wise-martin, I. (2023) Call for evidence findings: summary, analysis of themes and call to action. [online] All Party Parliamentary Group for Households in Temporary Accommodation. Available at:

Rice, B. (2023) The Experiences of Families Living in Temporary Accommodation in Westminster. [online] Cardinal Hume Centre. Available at:

Shelter. (2024) Record 159,000 children homeless in temporary accommodation – up 15% in a year. [online] Available at:

Shelter. (2025) Record child homelessness and soaring rough sleeping figures: the June Spending Review must deliver more social homes. [online] Available at:

UNICEF. (1989) The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. [online] Available at: