Number of children in temporary accommodation at a 'record high'

The number of children without a home in England is at a record high, the latest official figures show.

According to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, over 105,000 households are in temporary accommodation.

Housing charity Shelter says almost 139,000 children were homeless at the end of June 2023.

They "now face spending Christmas without a safe and secure place to call home," the charity said.

The latest figures surpass previous record highs recorded in March 2023, when 104,540 households and 131,500 children were in temporary accommodation.

June's figures are now the highest since records began, in 1998 for households and 2004 for children.

In May, the Renters Reform Bill was introduced to parliament.

The bill would remove the rights of landlords in England to evict tenants for no reason with only two months' notice.

Under current legislation, known as section 21, landlords can evict tenants without giving a reason.

The latest figures also show that the number of households threatened with homelessness following a section 21 notice rose by 10.3% compared to last year, up to 6,640.

Data from Ministry of Justice revealed that section 21 evictions in the courts had reached a seven year high.

However, the government announced in October that a ban on section 21 evictions - or 'no-fault' evictions - will be indefinitely delayed until after the court system is reformed.

Tom Darling, campaign manager for the Renters' Reform Coalition, said the latest figures were "another reminder of the urgency of abolishing section 21 evictions, a key driver of homelessness".

He added: "The government's recent decision to kick the can further down the road will lead to yet more misery as we approach winter with shocking levels of homelessness.

"Homelessness services in councils right across England are already stretched to breaking point."

A spokesperson from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "Everyone deserves a safe place to call home. We are spending £2 billion over three years to build homes for rough sleepers, give financial support for people to find a new home, and prevent evictions.

"We know building more homes is also a part of the solution and we are doing so as part of our long term plan for housing.

"Our landmark Renters Reform Bill will also give tenants greater security in their home, and last week we increased the Local Housing Allowance so 1.6m low-income households will be around £800 a year better off on average next year."