Words by Smiley Team
Shelter’s new report reveals 253,000 people in England are homeless and living in temporary accommodation during the pandemic – the highest figure for 14 years.
Rising homelessness is already a major problem – with the latest figures showing 115,000 more people are homeless and trapped in temporary accommodation than a decade ago – but Shelter argues the economic chaos caused by Covid-19 risks turbo-charging the crisis. The charity’s analysis of government data shows the number of people in temporary accommodation jumped by 6,000 in the first three months after the pandemic struck.
However, the number of people experiencing homelessness is undoubtedly higher, as many people will be undocumented by councils because they are sleeping rough or sofa-surfing.
Shelter’s Homeless and Forgotten report examines the lives blighted by the housing emergency and lack of social homes, which is leaving thousands stuck in unstable temporary accommodation with nowhere else to go. Temporary accommodation provided by councils can range from a self-contained flat to an emergency B&B room with shared facilities.
One in six homeless households (17%) are currently placed into emergency B&Bs and hostels, where poor conditions and gross overcrowding are rife. The use of emergency B&Bs alone has increased by a staggering 371% over the last ten years.
“Over a quarter of a million people – half of them children – are homeless and stuck in temporary accommodation." Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said.
"This should shame us all. With this deadly virus on the loose, 2020 has taught us the value of a safe home like never before. But too many are going without, because of the chronic lack of social homes.
“Many people will spend Christmas in grim, dangerous places, cut off from loved ones and faced with a daily struggle to eat or keep clean. As the country continues to reel from the financial shockwaves caused by the pandemic, our services will do all they can to support those battling homelessness. This year has been unbelievably tough, but with the public’s generous support we will do our best to give hope and help to everyone who needs us.”
To expose the harsh reality of life without a secure home, Shelter conducted 21 in-depth interviews with homeless families and individuals trapped in temporary accommodation during the pandemic. T
In response to its alarming findings, Shelter is urging the public to support its frontline advisers as they work tirelessly to help growing numbers of people to find, or keep hold of, a home.
One of the people Shelter interviewed was Jenny, who was placed in temporary accommodation in South West London with her two young children aged 1 and 3. The tiny, self-contained flat is in extremely poor condition.
Jenny said:“It’s a complete nightmare. We don’t feel safe, it’s always noisy, you don’t know who you’re living next to. The police are always around – someone tried to break down our door once, which was terrifying. It’s so difficult to do simple things like your laundry.”
“The kids sleep on the sofa. There’s barely any space for them to eat – let alone play. I can’t let them play in the garden because there are needles and broken glass. Being so far from Jack's nursery and having to wake up at 5am to get there makes things much harder. This is no place to bring up a family. I worry constantly about what impact this is having on them.”
Another person interviewed was Far, who was moved out of his local area to a hostel in Harrow. He has lived alone in his cramped room for a year, which has left him feeling isolated and anxious.
“Living here in these conditions has really taken its toll" Far said. The place is filthy. We have one bathroom for 20 people, but it’s not clean enough to use half the time. There’s never toilet tissue or soap. When coronavirus arrived, it was so stressful worrying about keeping clean and safe living in a place like this.
“There were residents walking around who thought they had coronavirus and didn’t wear a mask. Because I’m living in shared accommodation during the pandemic, I wait until the middle of the night to make food, when the kitchen is empty and not full of people – usually five people try to cook at once. So, I no longer cook hot meals as social distancing is impossible. I mainly eat basic things in my room. I feel like I’ve been exiled, and nobody seems to care.”
The report also revealed which parts of the country have the highest number of homeless people trapped in temporary accommodation. More than two-thirds (68%) of all homeless people living in temporary accommodation are in London – this equates to 1 every 52 people in the capital. Outside of the capital, Luton has the highest rate of people in temporary accommodation.
Just £10 could answer a call to Shelter’s national emergency helpline, allowing a trained adviser to give expert advice and support.
To donate to Shelter’s urgent winter appeal and give hope to people facing homelessness, please visit www.shelter.org.uk/donate.
