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Britain's child homelessness crisis worsens

By BO LEUNG | China Daily Global | Updated: 2019-12-05 10:46
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Every eight minutes, a child in Britain becomes homeless, the worst rate for 12 years, according to figures published in a new report by homelessness charity Shelter.

The charity, which campaigns to end homelessness and bad housing, revealed that each day 183 children lose their home and 135,000 children will spend this Christmas in temporary accommodation.

The charity's Generation Homeless report also highlights 5,683 homeless families with children who are currently living in emergency bed and breakfasts and hostels.

Will, aged 10, lives with his parents and younger brother in a single room in emergency bed and breakfast accommodation in Ilford, East London.

"Life in the B&B is horrible," Will said. "There's no room to do anything, even if I'm reading my book, as I'm still going to get annoyed by someone. I've been told off by someone for running in the small corridor, you can't do much, you can't play much. I don't get to play that often."

The family is still living in temporary accommodation, despite being told it would only be there for six weeks.

Families are often packed into one room with little space to cook, play or eat their meals and Shelter said people are also forced to share bathrooms with strangers as well as living in accommodation that is often located kilometers away from schools and jobs.

"Sometimes, me and my little brother Harry, we fight for the one chair, because we both want to sit at the table, and sometimes he wins and sometimes I win. I find it really hard to do my homework as I get distracted by my little brother and I don't have another room to work in peace," Will said.

The charity said an additional 4,026 children will be made homeless by Christmas Day is released if action is not taken to tackle the lack of social homes, expensive private rents and welfare cuts that are driving the country's housing emergency.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: "The fact 183 children become homeless every day is a scandalous figure and a sharp reminder that political promises about tackling homelessness must be turned into real action.

"Day in, day out we see the devastating impact the housing emergency is having on children across the country. They are being uprooted from friends; living in cold, cramped B&Bs and going to bed at night scared by the sound of strangers outside."

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "Every child should have somewhere safe to live, and councils have a duty to provide temporary accommodation to those who need it."

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