More than 100,000 children left homeless during lockdown, LGA warns

The Local Government Association said action is needed as latest government figures show that 127,240 children are living in temporary accommodation.

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This is the equivalent of 450 primary schools’ worth of homeless children and includes 1,440 families with children in bed and breakfast accommodation, the LGA has warned.

The current lockdown, involving the closure of schools for most pupils, heightens the need for policies and funding aimed at reducing the number of homeless children, it added.

The organisation, which represents councils across England, wants to see local authorities given greater powers through compulsory purchase orders to acquire empty homes to house families forced to live in temporary accommodation.

Welfare changes are also needed, said the LGA. This includes maintaining the £20 a week increase in Universal Credit during the pandemic, which is due to end in April.

Ministers should also review the impact of the cap on benefits during the pandemic and ensuring councils have enough resources to support families at risk of homelessness.

Around 100,000 social homes for rent should also be delivered each year and action is needed to reduce the number of evictions.

Around 450 primary schools’ worth of homeless children are spending this lockdown in temporary accommodation (such as bed and breakfasts) due to a shortage of affordable housing.

This needs to change.

Our 6 point plan sets out how we can tackle this

A #ReThinkLocal thread ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/owVGoHXzP0

— Local Government Association (@LGAcomms) January 13, 2021

“Living in temporary accommodation is disruptive and challenging for children and their families in normal times. These pressures will be being compounded by going into another lockdown, and on top of that some are unable to attend school,” said LGA housing spokesman David Renard.

He wants to see councils given “a better chance of being able to move homeless children into permanent accommodation and also minimise the risk of other households becoming homeless as a result of the pandemic”.

“This should include ensuring the welfare system is able to support families facing hardship and increasing the housing supply available to councils, as well as powers for councils to acquire empty properties and build much-needed social housing,” Renard added.

Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield is also calling for action to address homelessness among children. She wants to see a “formal target to reduce the number of children in temporary accommodation”.

“No child should have to spend time growing up in cramped B&Bs or hostels for months or even years, unable to do school work, sharing bathrooms with adults they don’t know and cut off from family and friends. Children have told us of the disruptive and at times frightening impact this can have on their lives,” said Longfield.

“I also want to see a package of housing support for families who have built up rent arrears to counter a potential wave of family homelessness.”

Last November, the charity Shelter issued a warning to ministers around increasing homelessness and poor housing children are facing and the impact on their education.

More than half of teachers have worked at a school with children who were homeless or became homeless, the charity found. The majority of homeless children have missed lessons, often due to difficult and long journey times to school.