MPs demand faster Government action on conditions in temporary accommodation

Just under 135,000 households are living in temporary accommodation, including almost 176,000 children, the committee said in its report, Housing Conditions in Temporary Accommodation.

Florence Eshalomi MP, Chair of the Committee, said: “It is truly devastating that this crisis has become a normalised emergency, with many families stuck in so-called temporary accommodation, and without a permanent roof over their head, for years.”

In its report the Committee set out a three-pronged approach to improving conditions in temporary accommodation:

1. Strengthen protections against poor conditions

• • Require councils to carry out mandatory inspections to ensure properties meet the needs of all household members, are free from hazards, and are in a decent condition.
  • Ensure Awaab’s Law, which requires social landlords to fix hazards within set timescales, is fully applied to temporary accommodation by the end of 2028/29.
  • Update statutory overcrowding standards to reflect the needs of children and modern living.
  • Put interim milestones in place to ensure the sector is on track to fully comply with the new Decent Homes Standard by 2035. 

2. Phase out unsuitable forms of accommodation

• • Phase out the use of other forms of shared accommodation and accommodation that will not be able to comply with the new Decent Homes Standard.
  • Put in place safeguards to ensure councils do not resort to using out-of-area placements or other types of shared accommodation to meet the B&B target.
  • Amend the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2003 to restrict the placement of families in other types of accommodation with shared facilities to a maximum of six weeks.
  • Once the new Decent Homes Standard is introduced in 2035, amend the Order to prevent households being placed in accommodation that cannot fully comply with the standard to a maximum of six weeks.
  • The placing of families, including single women with children, alongside single male adults should be eliminated.

3. Plan for the long-term supply of good-quality temporary accommodation

• • Require local councils, through their homelessness action plans, to forecast future need for temporary accommodation locally and set out a 10-year plan to deliver a sustainable supply of good-quality housing that is decent, safe, and stable.

Florence Eshalomi said: “Every quarter the number of households in temporary accommodation continues to rise, exceeding previous records.

“Too often the accommodation families find themselves in will be completely unsuitable their needs, lacking proper cooking facilities or sufficient space for children to do homework, learn to walk, or to crawl.

“Families can be placed in accommodation in disrepair. Serious hazards, such as damp and mould, are common, as are infestations of rats, mice and other pests.”

She welcomed the Government’s plans to apply Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard to temporary accommodation, but stressed that action is necessary now.

Eshalomi called on the Government to require councils to put long-term plans in place that “guarantees temporary accommodation provides a safe, decent and stable home for people when they fall on hard times”.

Responding to the HCLG report on conditions in temporary accommodation, Cllr Carl Cashman, Vice Chair of the Local Government Association’s Inclusive Growth Committee, said: “Everyone deserves a safe, warm, and good quality home – it’s a key foundation for a good life and strong community.

“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."

Cllr Cashman added: “The gap between what councils pay out to fund temporary accommodation costs vs what they are paid back by government is already £1.5 billion 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.”

Homelessness Minister Alison McGovern said: “It breaks my heart that B&Bs are tragically contributing to the deaths of children.

“We must and we are improving the whole system, so every child can get the best start in life.

“In the Child Poverty Strategy, we set out our commitment to do everything we can to eradicate unsuitable or poor-quality accommodation and ensure children in temporary accommodation do not experience or gaps in health care provision.

“Alongside this, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will provide the strongest protections in a generation, making sure vulnerable children are identified, supported and never again allowed to fall through the cracks.”

Harry Rodd