(London – 16 October 2025) – The number of children living in temporary accommodation in England has reached over 172,420 – the highest figure since records began in 2004.

Campaigners say this is proof that the government is failing to tackle the housing crisis, despite Labour being in power for over a year, and is the clearest sign yet that the UK needs the right to housing recognised in law.

Just Fair is a UK charity working to defend and promote economic, social and cultural rights such as the right to housing. Jess McQuail, Director of Just Fair, said:

“These figures are a national disgrace. Behind every statistic is a child spending nights in a B&B, travelling miles to school, or growing up without the stability of a home. This is not inevitable, it is a political choice.

Housing is a human right, recognised in international law. When over 172,000 children are denied that right, their other rights, to health, education, and family life, are undermined. Labour promised to fix the housing crisis, but these numbers show they are failing to deliver.”

Campaigners warn that the figures amount to more than just numbers on a page. They are the equivalent of filling Wembley Stadium almost twice over with children without a permanent home. Or, to put it another way, one in every 30 children in England is growing up without the security of a stable home. These are classrooms, playgrounds, and communities hollowed out by a failure to treat housing as the basic right that it is.

The rise comes despite historic progress in the past. In 2010, the number of children experiencing homelessness fell to under 70,000, showing that government action can reverse the trend.

With the long-awaited child poverty strategy on the horizon, and the Autumn Budget on 26 November, campaigners are urging Labour to heed recent recommendations from the United Nations. In its latest review of the UK, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights called on the UK Government to:

• ensure the availability of affordable and social housing;
• enhance renters rights and provide greater security of tenure;
• address the root causes of homelessness by resourcing local authorities adequately;
• guaranteeing safe and adequate living conditions in temporary accommodation.

Jess McQuail added:

“The Autumn Budget is a test of Labour’s priorities. Human rights must be at the heart of the child poverty strategy. Anything less will be a betrayal of all the children growing up without a safe home today.”

ENDS

**Update: See coverage of this in: ITV News, the Daily Mirror, the Big Issue, the Independent, Children and Young People Now, the Morning Star, and the Canary.