More than 60,000 households in London are homeless and living in temporary accommodation.
What does the latest data show? Why does it matter? And what needs to change?
A thread...
What does the latest data show? Why does it matter? And what needs to change?
A thread...
Comments
While waiting for a home, people are often housed in temporary accommodation
As the name suggests TA was only ever meant to be temporary, but people can be stuck in TA for years.
In 2023 – the last year we have full data for – 61,000 households were in TA, almost 50% higher than a decade earlier.
The data from the first half of 2024 suggests this is set to increase again.
By another estimate based on surveys of local authorities by @londoncouncils.bsky.social, the number of individuals in TA is much higher: 183,000.
That’s 1 Londoner for every 50, and 1 child in every classroom
But in just about every borough, the problem is acute.
And in seven London boroughs, the proportion of residents in TA is *five times higher* than in the rest of England.
As a last resort, though, councils are increasingly using B&Bs – which often lack proper space for families and are unsuitable as long-term homes.