Scandal of children trapped in city's temporary housing

NOTTINGHAM has more homeless children trapped in temporary accommodation than parts of London as calls grow for quicker action to end the “abysmal situation”.

- By OLIVER PRIDMORE & RICHARD AULT

Action is urgently needed, say homeless charities

(JOSEPH RAYNOR)

New figures show Nottingham's rate of homeless children living in temporary accommodation is the highest in the East Midlands at 1,362.

Nottingham's figure is also higher than cities like Sheffield and Leeds and, further afield, puts Nottingham ahead of parts of London like Merton and Kingston-upon-Thames.

The country’s housing crisis has become so severe that the number of homeless children living in temporary accommodation could fill a city the size of Oxford.

Nottingham’ crisis has reached such proportions that last year the city council was forced to stop those on the waiting list bidding on properties as it prioritised people stuck in temporary accommodation.

The council said at the time that it had more than 230 homeless families living in bed and breakfasts or hotels at a cost of over £500,000 a month.

The council also had 492 families in other forms of temporary accommodation, including hostels.

The new Government figures, which cover April to June, show that 1,362 homeless children are living in temporary accommodation in Nottingham - and that there are 646 homeless households with children living in temporary accommodation, meaning the situation has shifted little since last year.

Nadia Whittome, Labour MP for Nottingham East, says that is because authorities like the city council “have limited powers and resources to truly tackle this abysmal situation”.