Number of people living in temporary accommodation in England reaches 14 year high

Shelter highlights that more than a quarter of a million people have been homeless and temporarily housed during the pandemic

The number of people who are homeless and living in temporary accommodation during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has exceeded a quarter of a million, the highest figure for 14 years, according to Shelter.

In Homeless and Forgotten, Shelter says that rising homelessness is a major problem - with the latest Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) figures showing that 115,000 more people are homeless and trapped in temporary accommodation than a decade ago, taking the total to 253,000, the highest it has been since 2006. Noting also that the total has increased by 6,000 in the first three months of the pandemic, Shelter says that the economic chaos caused by COVID-19 risks ‘turbo-charging’ the homelessness crisis.

Seeking also to examine the reality of life without a secure home, the report identifies key themes from 21 in-depth interviews with homeless families and individuals trapped in temporary accommodation.

Findings include that -

• around half of the people interviewed felt isolated, reporting that they were placed in temporary accommodation out of area, away from jobs, schools and support networks;
• almost everyone in shared accommodation said it was impossible to maintain social distancing and were in fear of not being able to stay safe from COVID-19;
• more than a third said they struggled to prepare food and eat properly during lockdown because of inadequate cooking facilities;
• many respondents found it difficult to wash and do laundry due to unhygienic or inadequate washing facilities; and
• 20 out of 21 people said their own, or their partner’s, mental health had been negatively affected by living in temporary accommodation.

Shelter adds that increases in the numbers and negative experiences of homeless households in temporary accommodation are being driven by a lack of social housing and the increased use of emergency B&Bs and hostels, where it says poor conditions and gross overcrowding are 'rife’.

Commenting on Shelter’s report, Local Government Association housing spokesperson David Renard said today -

‘It was good the government recognised the need to fund homelessness services in the Spending Review.

However, these worrying figures underline why it is also important that there is a shift towards long-term investment in homelessness prevention services.

With council housing waiting lists set to potentially nearly double as a result of COVID-19, we are calling for councils to be given powers to kickstart a post-pandemic building boom of 100,000 new social homes for rent each year, including reform of Right to Buy.’

For more information, see Homeless in a pandemic: 253,000 people are trapped in temporary accommodation from shelter.org.uk