More than 120,000 children will be homeless this Christmas, official Government statistics have revealed.

The new data shows the number of children living in temporary accommodation is at its highest point for 12 years.

When David Cameron took power in 2010, the number of homeless minors was at 71,460.

More than 120,000 children will be homeless this Christmas (Picture: PA)

Now, that figure is at 123,630 – an increase of 73%.


It hasn’t been that high since Labour were in charge in June 2006 and 130,470 children were homeless.

The shocking number continued to fall from 2006 until December 2011, when it started surging again.

Labour’s shadow housing secretary John Healey said: ‘It beggars belief that the latest statistics show homelessness rising again, with even more kids homeless this Christmas than last.



‘When this Conservative Government ends, the national shame of homelessness will be on its political tombstone.’

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More than 82,000 households in England are living in temporary accommodation, according to new figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The statistics for the end of June this year show a 5% rise over the previous 12 months and a 71% rise on the low of 48,010 at the end of 2010.

Of the 82,310 households in temporary accommodation, 61,480 of them had children.

Heather Wheeler MP, Minister for Housing and Homelessness said: ‘Everyone deserves a safe and secure place to live. It is good to see our Homeless Reduction Act making a real difference but we know we need to do more.

‘That is why we are investing £1.2bn to tackle all forms of homelessness, we are putting £9bn into our affordable housing programme and we are also empowering councils to borrow to build more council homes to ensure that more people have a home of their own.’

Paul Noblet, head of public affairs at Centrepoint, said: ‘Inadequate rates of housing support and landlords’ attitudes mean many that people trying to leave homelessness are unable to find a permanent place to live, even in the social housing sector. This is certainly something Centrepoint sees among the 16-25 year olds we support across the UK.

‘The government must urgently review the rate of housing support young people can access to make sure it keeps pace with the cost of renting. Crucially, the government must work with developers to deliver more genuinely affordable housing at scale.’

Greg Beales, campaign director at Shelter, added: ‘The fact that more than 123,000 children in England will be forced to wake up homeless this Christmas is a tragedy. A cramped room in an emergency B&B or hostel is no place for a child to live.

‘This is now a national emergency. Every day we hear horror stories about homeless families faced with dirty, cold, and even rat-infested hostels. Whole families forced to share one room and even beds, and children too scared to leave their block to use the communal bathrooms during the night.

‘Shelter’s helpline is open 365 days a year, and our advisers will continue to work tirelessly to help more families fighting homelessness. But we cannot do this alone. That’s why we’re asking the public to act today by donating to our urgent appeal.’

How you can help homeless children this Christmas Any homeless person under 18 is legally owed the right to housing by their local authority, but there are many ways you can help. Shelter Shelter is calling on the public to support its urgent Christmas appeal. They give families the vital helpline advice and services they need to help them keep their homes over the festive period. The helpline number is 0808 800 4444

Or chat online to an adviser – https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help/webchat

Or contact local services – https://england.shelter.org.uk/get_help/local_services You can support Shelter’s urgent appeal by visiting www.shelter.org.uk or texting SHELTER to 70020 to donate £3. Their ‘support us’ page also gives a variety of other ways for the public to get involved – from running an event, to volunteering at a shop or tackling the root causes of homelessness. Every night, thousands of young people risk their lives trying to find a place to sleep (Picture: Getty Images) Centrepoint If you know a young person who might be a at risk of homelessness, you can call Centrepoint’s helpline for free on 0808 800 0661 or pass on the number to them. It’s available for any young person aged 16-25 and is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. If the person is over 25, you can report them to your local authority via StreetLink’s app or by calling the 24-hour helpline on 0300 500 0914. Be as detailed as possible about their appearance and location so the team has the best chance of finding the individual who needs help. If you want to provide more long-term support, Centrepoint is urging people to donate this winter. Just £18 could give a young homeless person a warm, safe room, hot meal and support in rebuilding their life. Donate here to give a young homeless person a better Christmas.