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Children's Commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, has warned that thousands of children in England are growing up in unsuitable temporary accommodation, as newly published data highlights the scale and duration of stays in shared facilities such as bed and breakfasts and hostels.
The findings indicate that at least 12,330 children were living in accommodation with shared kitchens and bathrooms as of June 2025, with 9,510 of them there for longer than six weeks (the legal limit for families placed in privately owned B&Bs under the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2003).
While 3,350 households with children were recorded in privately owned B&B-style accommodation, a further 3,380 households were identified in local authority or housing association hostels with shared facilities, data that had not previously been fully captured. Of those in council-run accommodation, 90% had been there for more than six weeks, compared with 65% in privately owned settings.
The Commissioner has raised concerns that the Government’s commitment to end the use of B&Bs for families beyond six weeks risks being undermined by a legislative gap. The statutory time limit does not apply to accommodation owned or managed by local authorities, meaning families may be moved between similar types of shared housing without any material improvement in living conditions.
Evidence gathered from children highlights the impact of these arrangements, including lack of privacy, limited access to cooking facilities, and overcrowded living conditions. The absence of basic amenities has been linked to challenges in maintaining routines, accessing nutritious food, and participating in everyday childhood activities such as homework or socialising with friends.
The Commissioner is calling for reforms to extend the legal definition of B&B accommodation to include all forms of shared temporary housing, regardless of ownership. This would require amendments to existing legislation and align the six-week limit across both private and publicly managed accommodation.
Further recommendations include revising the Government’s homelessness strategy to target the elimination of all long-term use of shared facilities for families, as well as improving data collection to provide ongoing transparency about the number of children affected and the duration of their stays.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (now Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) has begun publishing more detailed data on the issue. However, the Commissioner has urged that such reporting become routine in order to better inform policy and ensure accountability.
The intervention follows earlier research by the Commissioner’s office into child poverty, with the latest figures reinforcing concerns about the long-term developmental and wellbeing impacts of extended stays in unsuitable accommodation.
