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England

Briefing: The impact of homelessness and bad housing on children's education

By: Reshima Sharma
Published: November 2020

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A major new study from Shelter and YouGov reveals the lasting impact of homelessness and bad housing on a child’s education. With 136,000 children growing up in temporary accommodation across Britain, it is unsurprising that more than half (56%) of state school teachers in Britain have worked at a school with homeless children in the last three years, and have witnessed some of the most devastating effects homelessness and bad housing can have on a child’s wellbeing and their ability to learn.

To lift children and their families out of bad housing and homelessness, Shelter is calling on the government to:

  • Strengthen our welfare safety net, by removing the benefit cap and ensuring housing benefit is fit for purpose.

  • Bring forward urgent legislation to end Section 21 “no fault” evictions, which remains one of the leading causes of homelessness.

  • Tackle the root cause of the housing emergency, by investing in a new generation of social homes.