‘London’s Temporary Accommodation Emergency’

Housing supply must be increased, and local authorities adequately resourced, for London’s Temporary Accommodation (TA) emergency to be resolved.

That is the view of the London Assembly Housing Committee that has today published its report – ‘London’s Temporary Accommodation Emergency’ – outlining the existing challenges within the sector, with 16 recommendations for improving TA standards in London.

Families with children make up 60 per cent of London households living in TA,^[1] but they often do not have access to the amenities they need – like cooking facilities and play space for children.

Although there are some good temporary accommodation providers, accounts we heard painted a grim picture of insanitary, overcrowded, and hazardous living conditions for many.

According to the latest data, the biggest causes for homelessness for Londoners were being asked to leave by friends or family who could no longer accommodate them, or private rented tenancies coming to an end (increasingly through Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions). ^[2]

Meanwhile, London boroughs are now spending £90 million each month on TA. ^[3]

The Committee visited a TA hostel in Tower Hamlets in September 2023, joining the Setting the Standard team, which is a pan-London, inspection service for TA. Setting the Standard inspects and grades privately-provided, nightly-let TA, which it describes as the ‘highest risk section of the private rented sector’, to ensure that it meets minimum property standards.^[4]

The Committee then held a meeting in November 2023 with a range of guests, including prominent housing campaigner, Kwajo Tweneboa, grassroots organisations, local authorities and public sector organisations, and non-profit housing providers and lettings agencies.^[5]

A key finding from the Committee’s investigation is that there is an urgent need to improve national standards and regulation around the quality of TA.

Recommendations within the report include:

• Now that the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) 2021-26 has been reprofiled and renegotiated with the Government (in 2023), the Mayor must begin delivering affordable homes ‘starts’ under the AHP 2021-26 in 2024-25. The Mayor must also work with the Government to ensure that London has the resources it needs to deliver sufficient new supply to meet housing demand. He must also ensure that the homes from the previous AHP 2016-23 programme are completed as soon as possible.
• The Mayor should continue to invest in the building and acquisition of new social homes, making use of government funding where available, to ensure those unable to access secure housing in the private rented sector have a safe and sustainable route out of TA.
• The Government should urgently set out a clear timeline for how and when it will deliver its commitment to end Section 21 no-fault evictions.

Shaun Bailey AM, Chairman of the London Assembly Housing Committee, said:

“The temporary accommodation crisis requires urgent action.

“A lack of stable and affordable housing has led to a situation where thousands of Londoners have been forced into homelessness and have been housed in sub-standard and even hazardous living accommodation.

“Addressing overcrowding and lack of affordability requires substantial investment in housing supply.

“The Mayor needs to urgently increase delivery of affordable homes, using the £8.82bn government funds he has been granted for his affordable homes programmes.

“The Government must set out how it will ensure that local authorities will be adequately resourced to provide safe, secure and affordable temporary accommodation to Londoners in need.

“Through our investigation, we saw the work that Setting the Standard is doing in terms of helping the sector, and services like this must be supported, as they carry out essential work.

“We urge the Mayor and Government to urgently consider our recommendations, so that we can ensure Londoners have access to safe, quality homes.”