Human Rights Watch has published a report with the Childhood Trust examining standards of temporary accommodation in London. The report outlines concerns around the number of families living in substandard temporary accommodation and includes a collection of case studies sharing the individual experiences of those living in this type of accommodation. Findings include: as of October 2021, 42,290 households with children were living in temporary accommodation in London, which is 70% of all families in UK temporary accommodation; and government funding to local authorities decreased by 37% in real terms during the past decade. Recommendations include: the government should make the right to basic housing and an adequate standard of living a basic human right in domestic law; London local authorities should create an internal quality standards framework that covers potential issues including toxic mould, protection from cold, adequate space and other habitability concerns; and the UK Parliament and Levelling Up Housing and Communities Committee should conduct an enquiry into the current state of temporary accommodation.
Read the news story: UK: temporary accommodation violates children’s rights
Read the report: “I want us to live like humans again” families in temporary accommodation in London, UK
Source: Human Rights Watch
Date: 17 January 2022
