The APPG, coordinated by Justlife alongside Shared Health Foundation, aims to:
- Improve the lives and experiences of families and individuals living in temporary accommodation across England
- Investigate issues relating to temporary accommodation that can lead to trauma (or re-traumatisation), poor health and long-term entrenchment within the homelessness system
- Find solutions in the short, medium and long-term
If you would like to come to the next APPG meeting, please email: info@householdsintemporaryaccommodation.co.uk
Hidden homeless households living in temporary accommodation face particular challenges that cannot be addressed through rough sleeping initiatives, and therefore need unique focus. This need drives the call for the Households in Temporary Accommodation APPG.
We fully support the work of the Ending Homelessness APPG and believe their work is desperately needed. We also believe, in addition to their work, if we do not address temporary accommodation it will have a lasting and damaging effect on the future of countless children, as well as families, individuals and society in the coming years.
Temporary accommodation has become a long-term housing solution for too many vulnerable homeless households in England. Longer stays in this insecure, often poor-quality, accommodation can result in serious impact on the health and wellbeing of residents.
For families with children, this can lead to long-term mental health issues, disengagement from education and diminished future opportunities. As well as more immediate impacts such as serious safeguarding concerns, inability to access school or register with nearby primary healthcare services. For single homeless individuals, it also leads to worsening mental and physical health, often coupled with trauma and a further entrenchment in homelessness.
Currently there are 109,000 households, including 142,490 children, living in temporary accommodation - another record breaking figure. Although sufficient affordable housing would be a game-changer, we cannot wait to take action until more housing is built. We need immediate action to improve experiences in temporary accommodation in order to improve the health, wellbeing and outlook for all those currently living in this housing.
