Act now on ‘devastating’ momentary lodging disaster, MPs urge authorities | EUROtoday

The authorities has been warned by MPs over the “devastating” state of momentary lodging within the UK.

New figures present {that a} complete of 104 youngsters died with momentary lodging as a contributing issue to their vulnerability, ill-health, or dying, in response to knowledge overlaying 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2025.

The discovering has been described as “absolutely scandalous” by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Households in Temporary Accommodation, which revealed the report on Wednesday with knowledge from the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD).

Temporary lodging is a type of homelessness usually described as “hidden”, and may embody places corresponding to mattress and breakfasts (B&Bs) and hostels.

The variety of youngsters dwelling in momentary lodging continues to achieve document highs in response to knowledge revealed by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in February.

A complete of 175,990 youngsters have been in such lodging in England on the finish of September – an increase of seven per cent on the identical level in 2024.

The APPG additionally famous that between October 2023 and September 2025, 140 youngsters whose fundamental residence was listed as momentary lodging had died.

Assessments are ongoing to find out if their dwelling situations contributed to those deaths, with the report cautioning that confirmed hyperlinks might considerably increase present figures.

APPG chairwoman Dame Siobhain McDonagh stated she was “appalled to see yet another rise in the number of children whose deaths have been linked to temporary accommodation” and that the brand new knowledge on stillbirths and neonatal deaths was “equally shocking”.

She added: “We should all be outraged by these figures.”

Meanwhile, a separate report from the Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee warned that situations in momentary lodging are “often so poor as to be unfit for human habitation”.

The group of MPs urged the federal government to strengthen protections towards substandard situations, section out unsuitable choices like shared amenities for households, and plan for a long-term provide of high quality momentary housing.

Its chairperson, Florence Eshalomi, stated: “It is truly devastating that this crisis has become a normalised emergency, with many families stuck in so-called temporary accommodation, and without a permanent roof over their head, for years.”

Housing charity Shelter stated it was a “national scandal for any child to die homeless in this country”, including {that a} “dire lack of secure and genuinely affordable social homes has trapped over 175,000 children in unsafe temporary accommodation”.

Homelessness minister Alison McGovern stated: “It breaks my heart that B&Bs are tragically contributing to the deaths of children.

“We must and we are improving the whole system, so every child can get the best start in life.”

She stated the Government had set out in its youngster poverty technique, in December, a dedication to “eradicate unsuitable or poor-quality accommodation and ensure children in temporary accommodation do not experience gaps in healthcare provision”.

The technique pledged to “end the unlawful placement of families in bed and breakfasts beyond the six-week limit”, confirming the continuation of an £8 million pilot programme for the subsequent three years throughout 20 native authorities with the very best numbers on this state of affairs.