Living in temporary accommodation has contributed to the deaths of 104 children in England over the past six years, according to new data. Of those, 76 were under the age of one. The figures, compiled by the all-party parliamentary group for households in temporary accommodation, also show 64 stillbirths and 27 neonatal deaths involving mothers in temporary housing in the UK in 2024.
Siobhain McDonagh, the group's chair, said she was appalled by the increase in child deaths linked to temporary accommodation, which has soared in use. An estimated 135,000 households are living in temporary accommodation in England, including nearly 176,000 children. “We should all be outraged by these figures,” she said.
The data from the National Child Mortality Database covers 1 April 2019 to 31 March 2025, with temporary accommodation recorded as a contributing factor to children’s vulnerability, ill-health or death. A separate dataset shows 140 children died with their main residence listed as temporary accommodation between October 2023 and September 2025, a figure that could rise after formal death reviews.
Matt Downie, chief executive of the homelessness charity Crisis, described the situation as “a normalised emergency”. He said: “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.” Dr Laura Neilson, chief executive of the Shared Health Foundation, called the figures “absolutely scandalous” and said the deaths were “the direct result of political choices”.
A separate report from the cross-party housing, communities and local government committee concluded that families were living in temporary accommodation “unfit for human habitation”. The committee criticised the government for failing to collect official data on the physical condition of temporary accommodation. Labour MP Florence Eshalomi, the committee's chair, said too many homes lacked cooking facilities, had no space for children to play or do homework, and were blighted by mould or rats.
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 health care provision. The report welcomed government plans to apply Awaab’s law and the decent homes standard to temporary accommodation, but warned that more action was needed, including regular inspections and an end to the use of shared accommodation.
