Every year, countless homeless children lose their lives in temporary housing. Experts are calling for urgent changes to improve safety and standards in these accommodations.
Oldham: It’s heartbreaking to hear about the rising number of young lives lost. Every year, dozens of homeless kids die while living in temporary housing. And the situation seems to be getting worse.
New stats show that 80 children died in temporary accommodations in England last year. That’s about three percent of all child deaths during that time. It’s a shocking figure.
Dr. Laura Neilson from the Shared Health Foundation says this is preventable. She believes no child should die in temporary housing. It’s a fixable issue, and we need to act now.
With the cost of living crisis, more families are finding themselves homeless. Rising rents and evictions are pushing families into temporary housing. Domestic violence and a housing shortage are also major factors.
From 2019 to 2024, 74 children died unexpectedly, with temporary housing linked to their deaths. Alarmingly, 58 of those children were under one year old. It’s a tragic reality that can’t be ignored.
Dr. Neilson emphasizes that instability in a child’s life increases their risk of death. Children need a stable routine, safe facilities, and a clean environment to thrive.
But many families in temporary housing lack these basic needs. Constantly moving around can be overwhelming, especially for pregnant women and new moms. Temporary accommodations are often cold, unsafe, and damp.
Chloe Wild, a young mom, knows this struggle all too well. She became homeless while pregnant and has moved from one place to another. Now, she lives in a hotel with her baby, waiting for the next call to move again.
Chloe feels the stress of her situation. She worries about bringing her baby into an unstable environment. It’s tough to keep her baby safe when she can’t trust the cleanliness of her surroundings.
She buys cleaning supplies and does her best to sanitize every new place. It’s exhausting, both physically and mentally. She just wants a safe home for her child.
The Shared Health Foundation and the National Child Mortality Database are pushing for better regulations. They believe the current figures might even be an underestimate of the real problem.
Dr. Neilson is calling on the government to tighten regulations on temporary housing. Families with young children shouldn’t be placed in unsuitable accommodations.
New guidance suggests that temporary housing isn’t suitable for families with kids under two. The government is looking into how to apply new laws to improve conditions in temporary accommodations.
Dame Siobhain McDonagh, chair of the APPG for Temporary Accommodation, insists that change is urgent. The numbers are shocking, especially in a country as wealthy as England.
The government is committing nearly £1 billion to prevent homelessness. They aim to protect tenants and improve housing standards. It’s a step in the right direction, but more needs to be done.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner expressed her heartbreak over these findings. She believes no family should face such tragic losses. The government is determined to fix the system and end homelessness for good.
