Report

Temporary accommodation: London’s hidden homelessness crisis

Think tank: Centre for London

Author(s): Claire Harding; Nicolas Bosetti; Daniel Urquijo

September 29, 2022

This report from UK think tank the Centre for London looks at solutions to improve the experience of homeless households living in temporary accommodation.

This report recommends solutions to improve the experience of homeless households living in temporary accommodation in London. London is England’s centre of temporary accommodation, with 59% of all households who rely on the service nationwide living in London; this represents nearly 56,500 households, including 75,580 children. Our report warns that this already high level of demand is likely to be increased further by financial troubles for many Londoners this winter, as inflation and living expenses rise. This also places strain on local authorities, who can struggle to provide high-quality accommodation to everyone who needs it. They sometimes run the risk of placing households in cramped ‘bed & breakfast’ accommodation, or relocating them outside of their home borough and separating households from vital connections. The power to address these problems lies with national government, who can tackle the issue if they give it priority. We call on them to take action by addressing issues in the welfare system and building more homes. We also recommend that councils follow ‘good practice’ when delivering temporary accommodation.