ao link
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In

You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles

Child made homeless every eight minutes, says Shelter

A child becomes homeless every eight minutes in Britain, a new report by Shelter has said.

Linked InTwitterFacebookeCard
Picture: Getty
Picture: Getty
Sharelines

A new report by @Shelter warns that a British child is made homeless every eight minutes #ukhousing #homelessness

135,000 children are facing Christmas homelessness – the highest number for 12 years, says @Shelter report #ukhousing

The housing charity has found figures showing that 135,000 children are either homeless or living in temporary accommodation, the highest number in 12 years.

Titled Generation Homeless, the report states that 183 children are made homeless every day, enough to fill two-and-a-half double-decker buses. That equates to 1,281 children per week, or 66,612 per year.

The report also claims that 5,683 homeless families with children are currently living in emergency B&Bs and hostels – widely considered the worst type of temporary accommodation.

Homeless families are often squashed into one room with little space to cook, play or eat their meals; forced to share bathrooms with strangers; and placed miles away from schools, jobs and loved ones, Shelter said.


READ MORE

Councils’ spend on housing homeless people jumps to ‘shocking’ £1.1bnCouncils’ spend on housing homeless people jumps to ‘shocking’ £1.1bn
Nine in 10 homes unaffordable for families claiming housing benefit, CIH analysis revealsNine in 10 homes unaffordable for families claiming housing benefit, CIH analysis reveals
We must use our independence to fight for what is rightWe must use our independence to fight for what is right

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “The fact 183 children become homeless every day is a scandalous figure and sharp reminder that political promises about tackling homelessness must be turned into real action.

“Day in, day out we see the devastating impact the housing emergency is having on children across the country. They are being uprooted from friends, living in cold, cramped B&Bs and going to bed at night scared by the sound of strangers outside.

“Every child has the right to a safe home and if we act now, we can help get them to a better place.”

In England, the areas with the highest proportion of homeless children are the London boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea, Haringey, Westminster, and Newham, where one in every 12 children are homeless.

Outside London, the areas with the highest concentration of homeless children are Luton (one in every 22 children), Brighton and Hove (one in every 30) and Manchester (one in every 47).

This picture is also illustrated in England’s classrooms, where there are an average of five homeless children for every school in the country.

Linked InTwitterFacebookeCard
Add New Comment
You must be logged in to comment.