Big jump in B&B use for homeless families

Latest official homelessness figures show there were 3,000 families with children in bed and breakfasts at the end of September, up markedly on the 2,060 in such accommodation a year earlier.

Families are also spending longer in bed and breakfasts. The proportion forced to stay in such accommodation for more than six weeks doubled from 16 per cent at the end of September 2014 to 32 per cent at the same point this year.

B&B accommodation now accounts for six per cent of all households with children in temporary accommodation.

The worst hit area is London, which now accounts for 57 per cent of England’s homeless households living in B&Bs.

As of the end of September there were 103,430 children or expected children living in temporary accommodation. On average each of the 53,480 families in temporary accommodation supports 1.9 children.

Housing charity Shelter says that the number of families in emergency B&Bs is at its highest level since 2003.

Shelter chief executive Campbell Robb said: “These figures are a heart-breaking reminder that thousands of families will wake up homeless this Christmas morning – many hidden away in a cramped and dingy B&B or hostel room, sometimes miles away from everyone and everything they know.  

“With the double blow of cuts to welfare and a chronic lack of affordable housing, many more families are facing a desperate battle to keep a roof over their heads.”

The government has promised a “radical package of measures” to tackle homelessness. This includes protecting homelessness prevention funding within its provisional local government funding settlement.

A further £139m has been pledged over the next five years for homelessness programmes; £40m from the Department of Health’s budget will go towards refurbishing hostels and provide accommodation for young people at risk of homelessness and £5m in extra funding will go to the 25 poorest council areas to help people move out of temporary accommodation.

Figures released in October for the three months to the end of June also showed a rise in the number of families living in temporary accommodation. The charity Depaul UK blamed cuts to homelessness prevention services as a major factor in the rise.