Act now on ‘devastating’ temporary accommodation crisis, MPs urge government – UK Times

The government has been warned by MPs over the “devastating” state of temporary accommodation in the UK.

New figures show that a total of 104 children died with temporary accommodation as a contributing factor to their vulnerability, ill-health, or death, according to data covering 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2025.

The finding has been described as “absolutely scandalous” by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Households in Temporary Accommodation, which published the report on Wednesday with data from the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD).

Temporary accommodation is a form of homelessness often described as “hidden”, and can include locations such as bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) and hostels.

The number of children living in temporary accommodation continues to reach record highs according to data published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in February.

A total of 175,990 children were in such accommodation in England at the end of September – a rise of 7 per cent on the same point in 2024.

The APPG also noted that between October 2023 and September 2025, 140 children whose main residence was listed as temporary accommodation had died.

Assessments are ongoing to determine if their living conditions contributed to these deaths, with the report cautioning that confirmed links could significantly raise current figures.

APPG chairwoman Dame Siobhain McDonagh said she was “appalled to see yet another rise in the number of children whose deaths have been linked to temporary accommodation” and that the new data on stillbirths and neonatal deaths was “equally shocking”.

She added: “We should all be outraged by these figures.”

Meanwhile, a separate report from the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee warned that conditions in temporary accommodation are “often so poor as to be unfit for human habitation”.

The group of MPs urged the government to strengthen protections against substandard conditions, phase out unsuitable options like shared facilities for families, and plan for a long-term supply of quality temporary housing.

Its chairperson, Florence Eshalomi, 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.”

Housing charity Shelter said it was a “national scandal for any child to die homeless in this country”, adding that a “dire lack of secure and genuinely affordable social homes has trapped over 175,000 children in unsafe temporary accommodation”.

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.”

She said the Government had set out in its child poverty strategy, in December, a commitment to “eradicate unsuitable or poor-quality accommodation and ensure children in temporary accommodation do not experience gaps in healthcare provision”.

The strategy pledged to “end the unlawful placement of families in bed and breakfasts beyond the six-week limit”, confirming the continuation of an £8 million pilot programme for the next three years across 20 local authorities with the highest numbers in this situation.