England's Long-Term Vacant Homes Exceed Number of Kids Living in Temporary Shelters

Disturbing statistics spotlight the existence of over 260,000 unoccupied homes in England that have remained vacant for an extended period of time. Furthermore, these numbers are even more troubling when considering that over 121,000 children are currently residing in temporary accommodations.

This Christmas, Liberal Democrats have unveiled a startling statistic: England has over twice the number of long-term vacant homes as compared to the number of children living in temporary accommodations. This reveals the significant imbalances within the country's housing market.

According to the latest figures from the House of Commons library, there has been a notable rise in families living in non-permanent residences, like bed & breakfasts (B&B), hotels, and short-term rented properties. This troubling trend has reached its highest point this year, with 121,327 children affected.

Additionally, statistics compiled by the same library reveal that councils across England have 261,189 homes classified as long-term vacant ones, meaning they have been empty for six months or more. Although the empty properties might not be in the same areas as the children in temporary housing, the figures demonstrate that in 242 out of 313 English local authorities, the number of empty homes is greater than that of children living in such conditions.

The city of Birmingham leads in terms of children in short-term accommodation, with a figure just above 9,400, and it also has around 6,400 homes that have been empty for a considerable length of time.

London hosts a notable number of councils with large populations of children in B&Bs and short-term rental accommodations. This includes Newham, with nearly 8,600 children, and Enfield, with 4,500. Additionally, there are 11 other boroughs in London where the amount of children in such temporary living arrangements varies from 2,300 to 4,100.

The Observer's recent examination of government figures shows that at the end of June 2023, 4.4 percent of individuals under 18 in London were living in non-permanent accommodations. The statistics are higher in certain areas, with Westminster nearing 12 percent and Newham, Kensington, and Chelsea slightly over 10 percent.

Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson, told news sources, "It is heartbreaking to think that so many children are going without a permanent place to call home this Christmas while thousands of houses lie empty.” She criticized the current Conservative government for the state of the housing market, arguing that their long-term failure to construct sufficient social and affordable housing has left many people without stable homes.

Morgan continued, “The Liberal Democrats would tackle the housing crisis, giving local authorities the powers they need to take on big developers and deliver the affordable homes their communities need.”

The spokesperson for the Department of Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities emphasized the government's commitment to addressing homelessness and housing issues. They highlighted a £1 billion investment to help families move into permanent homes and mentioned a reduction of over 50,000 in long-term empty homes since 2010.

Additionally, they noted that councils have been empowered to increase taxes on long-term empty properties and can take control of them if necessary.