The UK’s housing shortage is frequently discussed in terms of homes not yet built. Less attention is given to the households already waiting.
Across England, more than 134,000 households currently live in temporary accommodation, including around 176,000 children. At the same time, local authorities are spending approximately £2.8 billion each year meeting the cost of temporary accommodation.
Temporary accommodation remains an essential safety net for households facing homelessness. Yet the scale of current expenditure highlights a growing challenge for councils across the country and raises wider questions about how housing need is being addressed.
Government policy has increasingly focused on homelessness prevention, recognising that preventing homelessness is often better for households and less costly than responding once a crisis has occurred. At the same time, the housing industry continues to explore how homes can be delivered more quickly, efficiently and at greater scale.
