Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 11
11
Accepted
Significant concerns exist regarding B&B suitability for temporary accommodation, particularly for children.
Conclusion
There are particular concerns about the use of B&Bs as temporary accommodation, regarding the suitability of the environment and location, safeguarding in mixed settings, and a lack of support from wider public services. Children in B&Bs often face particular challenges, such as not having the space for their physical development, and going to school hungry since B&Bs are often not equipped with suitable cooking facilities.16
Government Response Summary
The government states it agrees with the recommendation (despite the item being a conclusion) and has launched the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots in January 2025, backed by £8 million, to work with local authorities to reduce the use of B&Bs for homeless families.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 2.2 In January 2025, MHCLG launched the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, which was backed by £5 million to work with 20 local authorities with the highest use of bed & breakfast (B&B) accommodation for homeless families, to test innovative approaches and kickstart new initiatives to reduce the use of B&Bs. Areas were selected using the latest quarterly homelessness data from June 2024. 2.3 In February 2025, MHCLG announced a further £3 million funding for 2024-25 to the pilot areas, to undertake occupancy audits of temporary accommodation, to help establish a baseline for the pilots and to identify any voids, fraud or irregular arrangements, which could free up better quality temporary accommodation units for use by households currently living in B&Bs and other forms of emergency accommodation. This takes the total funding for the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots to £8 million. 2.4 Alongside the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, the department’s Homelessness Advice and Support Team (HAST) advisers continue to work with all local authorities, particularly focusing on local authorities that have high homelessness demand and high rates of temporary accommodation.