More must to be done to protect families in temporary accommodation from coronavirus, says charity

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “In the past few days the government has acted swiftly to help renters and people sleeping rough, by putting in place strong emergency measures to help safeguard these groups during the coronavirus crisis.

“It must now do the same for homeless families in shared and one-room temporary accommodation.

“Thousands of families with children are in this situation – living in cramped emergency B&Bs and hostels.

“It can be more difficult for them to follow NHS isolation guidance when they are sharing kitchens and bathrooms with strangers, living a single room or even sharing a bed. And we don’t know how children will cope being stuck in these conditions when schools close.”

The government’s statistics show that 131,010 households became homeless in 2019, an average of one household every four minutes.

Ms Neate added: “We need to protect families already experiencing the trauma of homelessness from greater risk of coronavirus.

“That’s why we’re urging the government to follow suit with additional funding and support for councils to help those currently in shared temporary accommodation and prevent anyone else ending up there. This is a key way we can keep more people safe.”

Yesterday the government announced a complete ban on evictions from social and private homes during the coronavirus outbreak.

It followed the announcement of an additional £3.2m for councils to help rough sleepers self-isolate if they are suspected of having the virus.