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Some 130,000 families are crammed into one-bed flats amid the mounting housing crisis gripping Britain, a report reveals today.

About 1.3 million children from more than 600,000 families are stuck in overcrowded conditions because there is nowhere else for them to live, according to the National Housing Federation.

Around 96,000 more children are living in overcrowded accommodation compared with a decade ago, the NHF says.

The revelation comes a day after the Children’s Commissioner for England said kids were sleeping in converted shipping containers because of the shortage of housing.

(Image: PA)

Homes are said to be overcrowded if a child has to share their bedroom with two or more other children, sleep in the same room as their parents or share with a teenager of the opposite sex.

Just under half of children in overcrowded homes are forced to room with their parents – potentially affecting 627,000 kids.

In more than a quarter of overcrowded homes, up to 368,000 youngsters have to share a bed with a parent or sibling.

More than a quarter of adults in overcrowded accommodation are often forced to sleep in kitchens, bathrooms or hallways because of the lack of space.

And around half of children in packed homes struggle to do their homework because of the lack of space, with 190,000 kids who find it impossible.

(Image: PA)

The country needs around 145,000 new social homes every year, including 90,000 for social rent, the NHS warns.

Last year only 6,000 social-rented homes were built.

National Housing Federation chief executive Kate Henderson said: “This research shows yet another devastating impact of the broken housing market.

“All across the country, whole families squeeze into one-bedroom flats, children sleep three to a bed and parents are forced to spend their night in the kitchen or a hallway.

“This is having a huge impact on more than a million children, seriously affecting their start in life.

“For decades, successive governments have failed to invest in social housing, and families are paying the price.”

(Image: Stoke Sentinel)

Shadow Housing Secretary John Healey said: “These figures show the impact of Conservative ministers’ cuts to housing investment at a time when new social housing has never been needed more.

“The country is now building 30,000 fewer social rented homes each year than in 2010, while there are over a million households stuck on council waiting lists.”

A Government spokesman said: “No child should have to live in an overcrowded or unsafe flat – that’s why we’ve strengthened tenants’ rights so they can hold landlords to account if things aren’t right.

“We’ve helped councils and housing associations to speed up the delivery of more homes, including social housing, through our £9billion affordable homes programme – delivering over 430,000 affordable new homes since 2010.”