Rise in numbers of children living in temporary housing
Last year saw a rise in the number of children living in temporary accommodation in Portsmouth, according to new figures.
New statistics from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities show a record number of homeless children living in short-term accommodation across England.
A housing charity cautioned a generation of young people have had their lives "blighted by homelessness", with campaigners calling for longpromised rental reforms to be strengthened.
The data shows there were 316 children living in temporary accommodation in the city as of the end of 2023.
These include short-term private rental properties, as well as hostels and bed and breakfasts.
This was a rise on the same point a year earlier when there were 258 children in temporary accommodation.
Across England there were 145,800 children in temporary accommodation at the end of 2023, up by a fifth on when records began 20 years ago, and a 15 per cent rise from the year before, when there were 126,340.
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: "The Government cannot stand idly by while a generation of children have their lives blighted by homelessness. Decades of failure to build enough genuinely affordable social homes has left families struggling to cobble together extortionate sums every month to keep a roof over their heads."
Political parties must commit to "ending the housing emergency", she added, urging them all to pledge to build 90,000 social homes a year for 10 years, as well as to overhaul the Renters (Reform) Bill.
In total, 480 households were living in temporary accommodation in Portsmouth, 149 of them with dependent children.
This was the up from the year before when 347 households were living in temporary accommodation.
Of those with children, 22 were living in private accommodation and 66 in bed and breakfasts – while 44 were in local authority or housing association stock.
An expert argued more work needs to be done on the bill.