"It is heartbreaking that so many children in the capital are homeless and set to spend Christmas in temporary accommodation. London is the epicentre of a national homelessness crisis that has been years in the making, and the situation here is nothing less than an emergency. The impact on children is devastating and the pressures on local services are unsustainable. Boroughs are working hard to support homeless Londoners as best we can, but we need more action at a national level too."
"We welcome the government's new homelessness strategy and its focus on a cross-departmental approach to tackling this crisis. It is vital this delivers the policy changes and resources we need to turn the tide on homelessness in the years ahead. The cross-party group says London faces the most severe homelessness crisis in the country and accounts for over half of all homeless households in England."
An estimated 210,000 Londoners will be homeless and living in temporary accommodation on Christmas Day, roughly one in every 50 residents. That total includes 102,000 children, an 8% increase from last year and a 35% rise since 2021. Based on average class sizes there is at least one homeless child in every classroom across the city. Soaring living costs, a shortage of affordable housing and insecure private rentals are driving the emergency. London accounts for over half of all homeless households in England, and boroughs collectively spend about 5.5 million every day on homelessness, mostly on temporary accommodation. Local leaders call for national policy changes and more resources.
Read at www.standard.co.uk
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