December 20th 2024.
Homelessness is a pressing issue that has caught the attention of the government, who has recently pledged to address it with a substantial fund of £1 billion in the upcoming year. However, the startling figures released by the Ministry of Housing have shed light on the severity of this issue, especially for school-aged children. In England alone, at least 99,000 primary school children are currently living without a permanent home, according to data obtained by charity Shelter.
The numbers are even more alarming in London, where one in every 24 primary school children is residing in temporary accommodation. In Birmingham, the highest number of homeless school children can be found, with a staggering 7,394 children aged between 5 and 17 who have no place to call home. This is a 12% increase compared to 2023 and a 28% increase since 2022. The second highest number is found in Newham, with 6,854 school-aged children living in temporary accommodation. Shelter's group chief executive has aptly described these figures as "heartbreaking."
Councillor Jayne Francis, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness at Birmingham City Council, has expressed her concern over the rising number of households with young children living in temporary accommodation. She states that the council is working tirelessly to prevent homelessness and, if necessary, provide safe and suitable temporary housing. However, the sheer demand for housing is a challenge that requires intervention from the government. Despite their efforts to construct new homes, the current rate of house building is unable to keep up with the demand.
In London, Fauzia, a 44-year-old mother, has been living in temporary accommodation with her husband and three children for the past seven years. She was served a no-fault eviction notice and has been struggling to find a permanent home ever since. Despite her efforts, she has been placed in a flat in Ealing, which requires her children to travel long distances to attend school in Waltham Cross. Fauzia has also faced numerous issues with her temporary accommodation, such as raw sewage backflowing into her sink and persistent damp and mould. She has reached out to the council for help, but her pleas have gone unanswered.
The figures also reveal that 56,000 primary school children across England will be spending Christmas without a permanent home, which is equivalent to one child in every third primary school classroom. In London, the situation is even worse, with one in every 24 primary school children living in temporary accommodation. Newham is the worst affected area, both for school-aged children and primary school children aged 5 to 11. Outside of London, Luton has the highest number of homeless primary school children.
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner, has pledged to take action against these alarming figures. She is determined to break the cycle of homelessness and put an end to it for good. The government has also announced a fund of almost £1 billion for councils across England to tackle homelessness and support rough sleepers.
Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Shelter, has emphasized the impact of homelessness on children's education and well-being. She believes that the only way to give children a chance to succeed is by building decent social rent homes. In her words, "To end the nightmare of child homelessness, the government must invest in a new generation of homes."
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