Temporary accommodation is meant to be a short-term solution. But for tens of thousands of people across London, it has become a long-term reality – often in unsuitable, unsafe conditions, and far from the communities they know.
This research lays bare the dire state of temporary accommodation in London.
Key findings
The temporary accommodation crisis spans all generations
- Some children are spending their whole childhoods in temporary accommodation, such as one family with children in Croydon who have been living in temporary accommodation since 1998.
- At the other end of the spectrum, people are living out their final years in temporary accommodation – such as a 97-year-old in Brent who has been in temporary accommodation for three years.
People are going without the most basic necessities
- Many temporary accommodation units lack the essentials most people take for granted.
- Families are going without cooking facilities, somewhere to wash clothes, reliable internet and storage for belongings.
- People also often go without clear information about their future or rights.
Placing families outside of their boroughs
- A growing number of families are being moved far from their home boroughs – sometimes even to other cities.
- This practice is especially common in more affluent areas, which are placing homeless households in poorer parts of London or further afield.
- This has a major impact on people’s lives. Children face long journeys to school, parents are cut off from support networks, and under-resourced local services struggle to cope with rising demand.
What needs to change?
Ultimately, the temporary accommodation crisis needs to be tackled at its roots. This requires:
- A once-in-a-generation investment in truly affordable, high-quality social housing
- Reforming Local Housing Allowance so that it permanently rises with inflation, preventing more families from being priced out of the private rental sector
These structural changes will take time – but there are actions we can take now to improve the lives of the 170,000+ Londoners currently in temporary accommodation.
For example, the government and local authorities should ensure that all families in temporary accommodation have access to 5 basics that we all expect:
- Somewhere to cook - safe kitchen facilities to prepare a hot, healthy meal.
- Somewhere to wash clothes - affordable, on-site or nearby, so that uniforms stay clean.
- Reliable, free internet - vital for homework, job-hunting and support services.
- Accessible, free storage - a lockable space for belongings, so families do not have to start from scratch when they move on
- Clear information - to receive accessible, timely updates on rights, repairs and updates about their future.
The report also calls for:
- The Government should strengthen the standards regime for households in temporary accommodation.
- Local authorities should stop charging households in temporary accommodation to use laundry facilities.
- The Local Government Association, in partnership with local authorities and the third sector, should publish new guidance on how authorities should support households that are homeless to protect their belongings
- A new nationwide protocol should be established to govern when households are placed in accommodation outside of their area.
With the right policies, investment, and political will, we can ensure temporary accommodation does what it’s meant to: provide a safe, dignified place to stay – not a trap people are stuck in for years on end.Read the report for a full list of specific recommendations.