Gove expresses ‘regret’ over housing statistics

MICHAEL Gove has said he cannot look at official figures showing a record number of children living in temporary accommodation with “anything other than regret” and blamed not enough homes being built.

The Housing Secretary admitted that “for years now we have not been building enough homes” and that the government has missed the supply target of at least 300,000 new homes per year.

On reforms to the private rented sector, Mr Gove insisted the long-promised plan to end tenants being forced from their homes under Section 21 notices will take “a matter of months”, but could not give an exact timetable.

Figures published by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) at the end of last month showed a sharp rise in the number of children living in temporary accommodation.

There were 145,800 children in temporary accommodation as of the end of December last year, up by one-fifth on 20 years ago when records began.