MPs call for mandatory temporary accommodation inspections after hearing evidence of poor conditions

The committee also claimed the government’s plan to end homelessness, which would end the use of B&Bs for families and extend housing standards to temporary accommodation, does not go far enough to tackle the crisis.

MPs pointed out that although official advice is that councils must ensure homes are free from the most serious hazards, no full inspections of this accommodation are required and councils have limited capacity to monitor standards.

They urged the government to give local authorities the funding to carry out these assessments and to require that the housing is checked regularly after it is used for the first time.

The committee also called on the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to start collecting and publishing data on temporary accommodation.

MPs highlighted that without official statistics on the quality of temporary accommodation, there is no baseline to measure any improvements against.

The latest report comes after data has linked stillbirths to temporary accommodation for the first time, as the number of child deaths in this type of housing continues to rise across England.

The committee added: “This lack of official data also limits accountability for public money.

“The government is spending more than ever on temporary accommodation without a good understanding of the quality of provision this money is paying for. This is not acceptable.”

The report set out other recommendations to improve temporary accommodation standards, including changing the law to make sure councils cannot put families into housing with shared facilities for longer than six weeks.

Its findings were welcomed by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), which gave evidence to the inquiry.

Stephanie Morphew, CIH policy lead, said: “We support the recommendations put forward by the HCLG Committee.

“It sets out a clear recognition that the sector needs stronger oversight, consistent data and better practice to improve outcomes for everyone.  

“This report is published on the same day that it is confirmed that 104 children have died in temporary accommodation since 2019, a shocking reminder of the gravity of failing to act.

“We urge the government to pay keen attention to this report’s thoughtful compilation of the sector’s evidence.”

Riverside, a 75,000-home housing association, also backed the report, including the need for compulsory expectations of new properties before families move in.

Lee Buss-Blair, director of operations, said: “The recommendations of this landmark report on temporary accommodation, if implemented, would make an enormous tangible difference to the lives of tens of thousands of families and children.

“It is simply unacceptable that people are living in poor conditions that affect both their physical and mental health on a daily basis and this cannot continue.”

The Local Government Association (LGA), which warned earlier this year of a £4bn funding black hole faced by councils due to the subsidy gap for temporary accommodation, highlighted the financial pressures local authorities are under.

Carl Cashman, vice chair of the LGA’s inclusive growth committee, said: “Councils are committed to providing suitable and decent places to live for those in temporary accommodation.

“However, the truth is that increasing numbers of people are seeking support from their local authority while budgets decrease, and when combined with the huge variation in types of accommodation available to the local authority, it presents significant challenges.

“The gap between what councils pay out to fund temporary accommodation costs versus what they are paid back by government is already £1.5bn over recent years, and is only set to grow.

“To arrest this trend the government must change the way it reimburses councils for temporary accommodation costs, and take further action to address the housing crisis that is in part responsible for these issues.”