Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many children are currently homeless in temporary accommodation in England and Wales, and how these figures compare to 2010; what is the average length of time that homeless children spend in temporary accommodation; and what action they are taking in this regard.

The statutory homelessness statistics for England publish quarterly data from local authorities containing information on families in temporary accommodation at the end of each quarter. Data can be found at Statutory homelessness in England: October to December 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Details of the length of time families with children are housed in temporary accommodation are published annually and can be found at Statutory homelessness in England: financial year 2022-23 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). In terms of the action the government is taking, I refer the Noble Lord to the response provided to UIN 14761 on 26 February 2024.

Housing is devolved and quarterly statistics for Wales can be found on the Welsh Government’s website.