An inquiry by MPs found that councils are exposing homeless children in England to serious health and safeguarding risks by housing them in unsuitable temporary accommodations.
Officials said that the crisis in temporary accommodation in the region has resulted in a record 164,000 children without a permanent home. The latest inquiry concluded that many kids are living in "appalling conditions" and suffering significant impacts on their health and education.
Homeless Children in England
The MPs urged in a report that ministers should work on delivering more affordable homes and should take urgent action to support families who are living in temporary accommodation. Some local authorities in England have a legal duty to support homeless individuals, including giving them temporary accommodation.
Temporary accommodation is typically used as a short-term solution to help individuals experiencing or at risk of homelessness. These housing units can include hostels and rooms in shared houses.
MPs on the Housing, Communities, and Local Government Committee launched the inquiry last year as they condemned the state of some of the temporary accommodation as being "utterly shameful," according to BBC.
The inquiry heard evidence regarding "egregious hazards" to children, which included serious dampness, mold, and mice infestations within the temporary accommodations. Some families were also left to live in these temporary housing for several years.
Florence Eshalomi, the Labour MP who leads the committee, said that evidence showing the deaths of 74 kids was linked to temporary housing that she believed "should shock all of us." She added that the situation should be a cause for concern, noting that the worst part is that 58 of the children who died were under the age of one.
Eshalomi said the situation is not temporary and it is not acceptable to be left alone by itself. She argued that no one should expect children to have the best outcomes in life if they are forced to live out of suitcases and without access to basics such as a private kitchen and a bathroom, the UK Parliament reported.
Difficulties of Temporary Accommodation
The situation comes as people from other regions are coming to the United Kingdom, including those from Ukraine, to get away from the violence. One disabled man who sought safety was told by a local council to accept an inaccessible flat, or they would refuse to give him housing support in the future.
The 40-year-old has a wife, a six-year-old son, and an eight-month-old daughter, who have lived in "constant stress" since seeking refuge in Sheffield in June 2022. The family in question first registered as homeless after being placed in unsuitable accommodation during the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Despite his disability, a local council told the father, who is in a wheelchair, that if he did not take a flat on the third floor of a complex, he would be struck off the housing list. This is even though he is not able to climb up the stairs, as per Yahoo News.
