Charity’s appeal to give children a home in time for Christmas

A charity has issued a public rallying call after carrying out research which suggests that more than 700 children in Yorkshire and the Humber could be homeless this Christmas – a rise of more than a quarter on last year.
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The study by Shelter shows 717 youngsters were in temporary accommodation organised by councils in the region at the end of June – up from 554 at the same point last year.

Further analysis of local authority statistics by The Yorkshire Post shows that York had the highest number of children in temporary accommodation in the region in June, with 84 in hostels and council-owned property.

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The authorities in Wakefield (81) and Harrogate (79) were also dealing with high numbers of homeless children, while in Leeds the number of youngsters in temporary accommodation rose significantly, from five in June 2014 to 67 a year later.

Shelter said the number of families across Britain living in bed and breakfast accommodation had more than trebled over the last five years as councils felt the pressure of a shortage of affordable housing.

The charity is calling on the public for urgent support, as its advisers struggle to cope with demand for help from growing numbers of families battling to keep a roof over their heads.

Director of services Alison Mohammed said: “There’s nothing more heart-breaking than hearing the voice of a parent who’s desperately trying to keep a roof over their children’s heads.

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“But the sad fact is, almost every day, we hear from families who’ve fallen on hard times and found themselves living in a single cramped room of a B and B or hostel, unable to give their children the environment they need to grow and thrive in.

“Worrying about your child’s safety every day, eating dinners on the floor, and sharing beds – this is no way for a family to live. But sadly we know we’re going to have even more families coming to us who are facing the reality of Christmas without a place to call home.

“That’s why we urgently need the public’s support to help us make sure we can be there for more homeless families this Christmas.”

Based on work with 20 families living in B and Bs and hostels, the charity said it had found cases of unfit and dangerous accommodation, with reports of children seeing their parents being physically attacked, being exposed to drug and alcohol abuse, and having strangers enter their rooms without permission.

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The majority of families interviewed said their children’s emotional wellbeing and development had been badly affected, with reports of bed-wetting, problems with speech, anxiety, and distress.

There were also reports of children developing worrying behaviours including one child who began to self-harm and a six-year-old boy who developed a nervous tic due to anxiety.

The Government said it had committed to building an extra 275,000 affordable homes in the next five years.

A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government added: “One homeless child is one too many but time spent in temporary accommodation ensures no family is without a roof over their head.

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“We have made over £1bn available since 2010, to prevent and tackle homelessness and support vulnerable households, and statutory homelessness acceptances are now less than half the 2003-04 peak.

“Our investment has helped prevent almost a million households from becoming homeless.”