Britain is struggling to provide a stable home for thousands of children, with over 172,000 youngsters now living in temporary accommodation at the end of June, according to the latest quarterly figures. This represents an alarming 8.2% increase from the same period last year, with more than 130,000 households now forced to rely on emergency shelter.
The statistics are a stark reflection of the crisis facing many families across the country. Children growing up in temporary accommodation are often denied basic necessities like space to play and homework facilities, leaving them without a safe and stable place to call home. The situation is particularly dire for those with no other support network, as Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, poignantly put it: "We have become totally accustomed to seeing record levels of children growing up in temporary accommodation."
But what's the human cost of this crisis? We want to hear from you – are you a parent living with your kids in emergency accommodation, or has your family been affected by the system in some way? How long have you been on the waiting list, and what's been the impact on your children's education and wellbeing?
The stress of constant relocation can be particularly tough on children's educational outcomes. Many are forced to move away from their school, leaving them without access to familiar classmates, teachers, and extracurricular activities. And as for siblings – with so many families sharing cramped, temporary quarters, the impact on family life is often severe.
The questions are simple: how long has your family been living in emergency accommodation? How have you coped with the stress and uncertainty of constantly moving from place to place? And what do you hope will change for those still waiting for a stable home? Your story matters – we want to hear it.
The statistics are a stark reflection of the crisis facing many families across the country. Children growing up in temporary accommodation are often denied basic necessities like space to play and homework facilities, leaving them without a safe and stable place to call home. The situation is particularly dire for those with no other support network, as Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, poignantly put it: "We have become totally accustomed to seeing record levels of children growing up in temporary accommodation."
But what's the human cost of this crisis? We want to hear from you – are you a parent living with your kids in emergency accommodation, or has your family been affected by the system in some way? How long have you been on the waiting list, and what's been the impact on your children's education and wellbeing?
The stress of constant relocation can be particularly tough on children's educational outcomes. Many are forced to move away from their school, leaving them without access to familiar classmates, teachers, and extracurricular activities. And as for siblings – with so many families sharing cramped, temporary quarters, the impact on family life is often severe.
The questions are simple: how long has your family been living in emergency accommodation? How have you coped with the stress and uncertainty of constantly moving from place to place? And what do you hope will change for those still waiting for a stable home? Your story matters – we want to hear it.
The stats are getting wild fam! 172k kids in temporary accommodation is crazy! 
According to gov records, the UK spent £5.8bn on emergency housing in 2023-2024. 
But did you know that only 27% of these households were deemed "suitable" for permanent placement? 
Meanwhile, over 70% of children in temporary accommodation scored below national average in reading & math tests 
. It's heartbreaking to think about how this affects kids' mental health & educational prospects 
. I'm seeing a lot of families struggling with anxiety & depression due to the stress of constant relocation 
. Can we get some support & resources for these families ASAP? 
We should be providing more support and resources to families in crisis, like extra counseling or job training programs for parents. And emergency shelters just aren't sustainable long-term – they're basically temporary Band-Aids on a much bigger problem.
is there more funding going into emergency shelters? we need more than just statistics, we need real change 
especially with no support network they're left all alone to deal with this stress it's like they're being forced to live in limbo with no end in sight 
... Like, investing in affordable housing and community programs that can provide support for families in need. Because until we fix the root of the problem, these kids are just gonna keep getting stuck in this cycle of instability.
