At least 104 children in England have died over the past six years in circumstances linked to living in temporary accommodation, according to new data compiled by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Households in Temporary Accommodation. Of those, 76 were under the age of one.
The figures, drawn from the National Child Mortality Database, cover the period from April 2019 to March 2025. Separate data from MBRRACE-UK shows that in 2024, at least 91 out of 3,303 baby deaths (3%) involved mothers living in temporary accommodation. There were also 64 stillbirths and 27 neonatal deaths among this group.
Siobhain McDonagh, the Labour MP chairing the parliamentary group, described the figures as “appalling” and called for “urgent, sustained action”. She said: “We should all be outraged by these figures. We need urgent, sustained action to bring down the number of homeless children and to ensure that no family is left in conditions that put lives at risk.”
Matt Downie, chief executive of the homelessness charity Crisis, said the situation had become “a normalised emergency”. He added: “No child should have to grow up without a safe place to call home, let alone lose their life as a result of our broken housing and homelessness system. It’s deplorable and, crucially, avoidable.”
A separate report from the cross-party Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee concluded that families were living in temporary accommodation that was “unfit for human habitation”, with hazards such as mould and rats, and a lack of cooking facilities or space for children to play. The committee criticised the government for failing to collect official data on the physical condition of such housing.
Homelessness minister Alison McGovern said the government was committed to “eradicating unsuitable or poor-quality accommodation” and ensuring children in temporary accommodation do not experience gaps in healthcare. The government has pledged to apply Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard to temporary accommodation, but campaigners say stronger action is needed.
