Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 1
1
Accepted
Persistent appalling conditions in temporary accommodation gravely endanger children's health and wellbeing.
Conclusion
The appalling conditions in some temporary accommodation in England are utterly shameful. We are concerned that issues of poor-quality temporary accommodation continue to persist, even though it is now over five years since the then Children’s Commissioner described these conditions as “simply inappropriate places for a child to be growing up”. Conditions in temporary accommodation are too often unfit for habitation, and risk having a serious detrimental impact on children’s development, wellbeing, and health. It is particularly shocking that in the last five years temporary accommodation has been a contributing factor to the deaths of at least 74 children, of whom 58 were under the age of one. (Conclusion, Paragraph 20)
Government Response Summary
The government is taking action through the Renters’ Rights Bill to introduce powers to apply the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector, with the intention of bringing temporary accommodation within its scope, subject to consultation on implementation details and appropriate enforcement mechanisms.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
11. There are legal requirements, guidance and redress routes in place for temporary accommodation. 12. We are already taking action on the issues raised by this recommendation. Through the Renters’ Rights Bill the Government is introducing powers to apply the Decent Homes Standard (DHS) to the private rented sector and a power to bring temporary accommodation into scope of the DHS. The Government’s intention is that the Decent Homes Standard should apply to temporary accommodation, subject to consultation on the detail of the new standard, including how applicable it is to temporary accommodation. This consultation will look at appropriate enforcement mechanisms to ensure standards are being applied across local authorities’ temporary accommodation stock. Bed & Breakfast temporary accommodation