Temporary accommodation ‘a factor in 55 child deaths in England since 2019’

Temporary accommodation has contributed to the deaths of dozens of babies in England, research into child mortality over a four-year period has found.

Figures that MPs and the government called ‘shocking’ found living in temporary accommodation was a factor in the unexpected deaths of 55 children between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2023, official reviewers said. It showed that 42 of the dead were less than a year old.

Temporary housing can include bed and breakfasts, hostels and temporary housing and is often provided by municipalities. A shortage of social housing and rising private rents have led to some council estates turning to places that are damp, cold and overcrowded.

The figures were first revealed by ITV News on Monday after analysis by the national infant mortality databasewhich collects data from panels made up of health care professionals, social workers and other officials who meet when a child dies.

“It is shocking that in the world’s fifth largest economy, children are dying because of the housing they are housed in,” said Siobhain McDonagh, chairman of the cross-party parliamentary group on temporary housing.

“We cannot accept that… municipalities are under extraordinary pressure. They have a growing list of homeless families waiting for housing and a shrinking number of homes for them to stay in. This means that municipalities are forced to house people in inhumane conditions.

“Some of the conditions I see are not suitable for anyone to live in, let alone a child. It’s the wild west out there.”

A spokesperson for the Department for Leveling Up, Housing and Communities described the findings as “completely shocking”, adding: “Our guidance for councils is clear that all temporary accommodation must be safe and suitable for families with babies and provide adequate space have for a cot. . We will continue to work with (parliamentarians) and counsel on this important issue.”

It was not immediately clear what aspects of the temporary housing officials believe contributed to the fatalities. A coroner ruled damp and mold were the cause of the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in a social housing flat in Rochdale in December 2020.

The Guardian recently reported on a mother in a damp and moldy council house in Lewisham, south-east London, who had considered placing her six-year-old son in care because she was so concerned about his health after he started breathing. difficulties.

In another case, a mother of four in temporary accommodation in east London had to fight for months to get out of a multi-occupant house where up to 13 people shared one bathroom. She had a disabled child and there was mold in the bedroom.

Darren Rodwell, housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association, which represents councils, said: “It is tragic that thousands of children are living in temporary accommodation.

“Last year, councils spent £1.74 billion to provide 104,000 households with temporary accommodation, the highest figure since records began. The only way to solve this problem is to tackle the shortage of suitable housing across the country and build up councils’ social housing stock.”