Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 12
12
Thousands of families exceed statutory six-week B&B limit due to housing shortages.
Conclusion
Reflecting these concerns, the homelessness code of guidance states that local authorities should use B&Bs for households with children only as a last resort, and even then, for a maximum of six weeks. However, MHCLG told us that, as at June 2024, due to the shortage of alternative options, there were almost 6,000 families being housed in a B&B, of which almost 4,000 had been there for more than six weeks.17
Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 6 May 2025. Response attribution to this conclusion has not been verified. Read the response document ↗