Children homeless in temporary accommodation hits shameful new record of 151,000 – up 15% in a year
Posted 08 Aug 2024
Two separate sets of statistics released by the government today reveal the extent of England’s rapidly escalating housing emergency.
The new statutory homelessness figures, which cover the period January to March 2024, reveal:
The number of children who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation with their families in England has rocketed to 151,630- an increase of 15% in a year - and the highest figure since records began in 2004.
The number of homeless families living in emergency accommodation such as B&Bs and hostels has reached 8,860 – a rise of 29% in a year. This type of emergency accommodation is notoriously overcrowded, expensive and unsuitable.
Overall there are now a record 117,450 homeless households living in temporary accommodation in England – the highest figure ever and up 12% in a year.
The loss of a private tenancy remains the leading trigger of homelessness accounting for more than one in four households found to be homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Meanwhile, the latest Ministry of Justice figures on repossession and eviction, which cover April to June 2024, show:
2,916 privately renting households were removed from their homes by bailiffs as a result of a Section 21 no fault eviction –the highest for over 6 years, and up 31% in a year.
Between April and June 2024, 8,322 landlords in England started Section 21 no-fault eviction court proceedings in the past three months – up 11% from the year before.
Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Shelter, said: “As we hit yet another devastating record on homelessness, and evictions continue to rise, this government must succeed where previous governments have failed and tackle the housing emergency head on.
“Without a clear plan to invest in genuinely affordable social homes, thousands more children will be forced to grow up in damaging temporary accommodation, spending months if not years living out of suitcases, crammed into grim bedsits and B&Bs, and unable to put down any roots.
“The government must urgently establish a cross-department homelessness strategy and scrap no fault evictions if we are to end homelessness. Our Brick-by-Brick report shows how it can ramp up to 90,000 social rent homes a year in this parliament. Social housing would pay for itself within a few years, and in doing so relieve the pressure on private renting, generate new jobs, and create savings for the NHS and benefits bill.”
Shelter’s new Brick by Brick report provides a roadmap for how the government can get building at the scale that’s needed to end the housing emergency. It sets out a clear plan on how to build the 90,000 social homes a year that are needed for ten years through six core elements - these include land and planning reforms, council housebuilding and government investment.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Homelessness statistics:
There were 151,630 children in temporary accommodation at the end of March 2024. This compares to 131,500 at the end of March 2023. This is the highest since records began in 2004. Tables on homelessness - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), Table TA1.
8,860 households with children were living in B&Bs or hostels at the end of March 2024. This compares to 6,870 at the end of March 2023. Tables on homelessness - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), Table TA1.
117,450 households were in temporary accommodation at the end of March 2024. This compares to 104,540 at the end of March 2023. Tables on homelessness - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Table TA1. The number of households who are homeless in temporary accommodation in England is the highest it has ever been. Quarterly recording of this figure began in 1998. Historical data shows that numbers were much lower in the period from the inception of modern homelessness legislation to the start of quarterly reporting of this data. See https://www.ukhousingreview.org.uk/ukhr22/tables-figures/pdf/22-090.pdf
The leading cause of homelessness is the loss of a private rented tenancy. This is calculated by looking at the reason given for the loss of their last settled home by households who were found to be owed a prevention or relief duty in the last three months. 23,510 households lost their last settled home due to the ending of a private tenancy (the ending of an AST and the ending of a private tenancy non-AST). This was more than the next most common reason (family and friends no longer willing or able to accommodate 22,690). Tables on homelessness - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk), Table A2P and A2R.
Ministry of Justice landlord possession statistics:
The government's mortgage and landlord statistics (table 8) show that 2,916 households were removed from their home by bailiffs using the accelerated procedure in England between April to June 2024. This compares to 2,228 in the same period in 2023, a 31% increase in a year. This is the highest number of bailiff evictions in a quarter for more than six years (since 2017 Q3, when there were 3,171 repossessions). This data is published by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and is available at: Mortgage and landlord possession statistics: April to June 2024, table 8
The government's mortgage and landlord statistics (table 8) also show that there were 8,322 claims issued by private landlords using the accelerated procedure in England between April to June 2024. This compares to 7,488 in the same period in 2023, an increase of 11% in a year.
About Shelter: Shelter exists to defend the right to a safe home and fight the devastating impact the housing emergency has on people and society. Shelter believes that home is everything. Shelters expert advisers offer vital support and advice to millions of families who are enduring the immense harm caused by housing emergency. Learn more at www.shelter.org.uk.