At least 100,000 children will be homeless this Christmas, with many spending the festive season in hostels and refuges
Shocking statistics reveal number of kids in temporary accommodation has nearly doubled in the past six years
AT least 100,000 children will be homeless this Christmas, shock figures reveal.
Many will spend the festive season living in hostels, refuges and bed and breakfast rooms.
Official stats show the number of kids in temporary accommodation has nearly doubled in the past six years.
Last night a Labour MP branded the figures – the worst in eight years — “a national disgrace”.
And experts warned that without urgent action the toll will hit 150,000 by 2020.
Government records show 73,120 households were living in temporary accommodation at the last count – 3,390 of them with dependent children or pregnant women.
The figure includes 1,080 families with kids or mums-to-be have been illegally housed in B&Bs for more than six weeks.
This is FOUR TIMES the number in 2010, despite rules that such families should only be housed there in an emergency and only for a short period.
Shadow housing secretary John Healey blamed the lack of affordable housing for the crisis.
He said: “Ministers should hang their heads in shame.
“It’s a national disgrace that over 100,000 kids will be homeless this Christmas in one of the world’s richest countries.
“Six years of housing policy failure under the Tories has led to this homelessness crisis.
“You can’t help the homeless if you won’t build homes and under this government the number of low-cost homes has fallen to a 24-year low, meaning there’s nowhere for families to go.
“Homelessness is not inevitable and Labour in government cut it right down before levels started to soar again under the Tories.”
Homeless charity Shelter has warned that two in five homeless families are put in temporary accommodation outside their local areas.
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It means they often uprooted and moved away from jobs, schools, friends and support networks.
A Communities Department spokesman said: “Temporary accommodation ensures no families with children are ever left without roofs over their heads, with the number living in temporary accommodation below the peak of 2006.
“We’ve invested £500m to tackle homelessness – including funding to prevent people becoming homeless – and set out the largest affordable housebuilding programme of any government since the 1970s.”
The Sun’s Smiles At Christmas campaign is supporting four charities, among them Women’s Aid, which helps kids caught up in domestic violence, many of whom will spend Christmas in refuges with their mothers.
Give cash
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Text: To give £2, text KIDS55 2 to 70070. You can change the amount to £3, £4, £5 or £10 by changing the last figure to 3, 4, 5 or 10.
Post: Send a cheque, made payable to JustGiving Foundation, to JustGiving The Sun Appeal, Bluefin Building 2nd Floor, London SE1 0TA
Give toys
You can donate new or used toys in good condition at 1,370 branches of McColl’s convenience stores.
Toys “R” Us will accept new toys only — look for special Sun trolleys near entrances.
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