THE number of children living in temporary accommodation in Barnsley more than doubled last year, latest figures have revealed.
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government figures show 67 homeless children in Barnsley were living in temporary accommodation as of December.
It was up from 33 the previous year.
In England, 81,060 households with 165,510 dependent children were living in temporary accommodation at the end of last year both the highest figures since records began in 2019.
The number of families living in temporary homes was only up 0.7 per cent from September, but showed a 13.7 per cent increase from December 2023.
Living in temporary accommodation means being provided short-term housing by a local authority, including bed and breakfast hotels, hostels or privately rented accommodation. It is considered a form of homelessness.
Homelessness charity Shelter called on the government to unlock ‘urgent investment’ in the upcoming spending review to tackle the national housing crisis.
Mairi MacRae, director of campaigns and policy, said the housing crisis ‘has reached critical levels’.
She added: “In the absence of enough social homes, people are being funnelled into and trapped in temporary accommodation for years on end while billions are spent on sticking plaster solutions.
“Families are stuffed into unsuitable spaces, living on top of each other and out of suitcases, never knowing if and when they’ll be forced to uproot their lives.”
She urged the government to commit to the ‘ambitious investment’ of building 90,000 social homes a year for a decade in next month’s spending review.
Dan Wilson Craw, deputy chief executive of campaign group Generation Rent, added: “Behind every statistic are thousands of stories of people facing some of the most stressful, traumatic and insecure times of their lives.
“More and more children are spending their formative years trapped living in temporary accommodation, often in overcrowded and unsafe conditions and at huge cost to local authorities.
“This is a national scandal that demands government action.”
He welcomed the national house building plan, but called on the government to address soaring rent prices and unlock Local Housing Allowance for those on lower incomes.
An MHCLG spokesperson said: “Through our Plan For Change we’re taking urgent action to fix the broken system we inherited, investing nearly £1bn in homelessness services this year to help families trapped in temporary accommodation.
“Alongside this, we are developing a long-term strategy to tackle homelessness, driving up housing standards and delivering the biggest boost in social and affordable homes in a generation.”
Coun Wendy Cain, cabinet spokesperson for public health and communities, added: “We know that temporary accommodation - particularly in bed and breakfasts - is not ideal for families, and we work hard to ensure that any stay is as short as possible and only used when no other options are available.
“Our teams are focused on preventing homelessness before it happens by identifying households at risk early and working closely with families to keep them in their homes. We provide a range of support services, including help with rent arrears, mediation, access to financial support, and assistance finding suitable housing.
“We are also strengthening our partnerships with housing providers and local organisations to increase access to more stable, longer-term housing options.
“At the same time, we continue to face national pressures around housing affordability, rising private rents, and high demand for social housing, all of which make it harder for families to secure permanent accommodation.
“We urge any family who is worried about their housing situation to contact us as early as possible.
“The sooner we are aware, the more support we can offer to prevent homelessness and reduce the need for temporary accommodation.”
