Children in temporary accommodation inquiry launched

• Inquiry: Children in Temporary Accommodation
• Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee

The Committee will begin its Children in Temporary Accommodation inquiry with an opening evidence session next Tuesday morning (10am, 5 November) with homelessness organisations and local authority stakeholders.

The cross-party inquiry will scrutinise issues around the quality of temporary accommodation provision and pressures on local authority finances in England. The inquiry will consider how children and families in temporary accommodation could be better supported by Government, local authorities, and accommodation providers.

Chair quote

Florence Eshalomi, Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee said: “The housing crisis means that families are increasingly being housed in sub-standard temporary accommodation, meaning children may spend years living in places which are not suitable or adequate to grow up in.

“Growing demand for accommodation is also impacting council finances, with local authorities seeing already desperately tight budgets further stretched by ever increasing temporary housing costs.

“I hope the Committee’s inquiry will bring forward practical solutions to help improve temporary accommodation and enable the Government, councils, and others, to take the steps needed to deliver stable and secure homes for families and children”.

What is temporary accommodation?

Councils have a legal duty to house homeless residents in priority need, including families with children and other vulnerable people. Initially, this is in emergency accommodation that should be for only a short time. If a council decides the household meets the criteria for longer-term help, temporary accommodation will be provided until a permanent home can be found.

Temporary housing is provided from various sources, such as in the private rented sector (including rooms in shared houses), social housing on short-term tenancies, hotels, and bed and breakfast accommodation.

Inquiry evidence sessions begin on Tuesday 5 November, 10am.

In the first evidence session of this short inquiry, the Committee will question representatives from housing and homeless organisations, including Crisis, St Mungo’s, Shared Health Foundation, and CARIS Families.

The second panel of witnesses will be from local authority organisations, including District Councils Network, London Councils, and the Heads of Housing at Rochdale and Hastings councils.

The Committee is expected to wrap up the inquiry with questions to a Government Minister in the New Year.

Key questions for the children in temporary accommodation inquiry

Scope

The Committee inquiry’s will consider:

• The impact of temporary accommodation on children’s development, health and wellbeing;
• Housing quality in temporary accommodation;
• The use of B&Bs and other unsuitable temporary accommodation; and
• How the Government, local authorities, and accommodation providers could better support children and families living in temporary accommodation.

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

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