Scandal as Newham Pushes More Children into Temporary B&B Accommodation

Children in B&B. Newham Numbers Soar

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Homelessness in Newham

Historically, Newham has had one of the highest numbers of ‘statutory homeless’ people in London. There are several reasons for this. Newham was and is one of the poorest boroughs in the country. They have suffered under the Tory Right-to-Buy scheme, losing one third of their housing stock. It is only in the last couple of years that the government has begun to invest money in new local authority housing. But also, to their credit, they have not increased the thresholds to get on the housing list, unlike many London authorities. 

What we have been interested to see is whether the problem is getting better, or worse.

Wales’ Homeless Legacy

In the Quarter Apr-Jun 2018, there were 4949 households in temporary accommodation in Newham. About 1800 of those households were in medium term lets in ordinary homes under the Local Space scheme set up under Wales’ administration.  They were in normal homes paying, what the government has termed ‘affordable rents’ (about 80% of the market rent). Effectively, housing association properties for three to five years until they got a permanent offer.

The 4949 households equated to 43.6 households per 1000 borough residents. 

There were 7500 children in temporary accommodation.

Seventy-Four households were in B&B accommodation. There were no children in B&Bs and consequently no children who had been in B&Bs for over six weeks.

How has Fiazco Done?

One of the pledges of the incoming Mayor Rohksana Fiazco, was for more housing and social rents. She had been very critical of her predecessor’s performance on homelessness and implied a major change for the better. So let’s see how she has done.

In the Quarter Apr-Jun 2020, there were 6042 households in temporary accommodation in Newham. 

This equated to 52.81 households per 1000 borough residents. There were over 8900 children in temporary accommodation.

The Seventy-Four households who were in B&B accommodation in 2018 had shot up to 408 in 2020. Having inherited a position in which there were no children in B&Bs this number had mushroomed to 146 and of these 63 had been in B&Bs for over six weeks.

Not a great start!

When comparing the results of the new Newham Council and Mayor against London as a whole, we find that the situation is no better. The average number of households in temporary accommodation across London was 1760 in 2018. By 2020 this number had risen to 1897.

A small increase, but an increase nonetheless, suggesting a strain on London’s housing resource.

In Newham the figure had risen from under 5000 to over 6000 in the same period. A rise that was 10 times the figure for London. There is no other borough that comes close to that rise in the same period.

Given that housing was a major plank of her campaign and that she worked to gain the support of Peach, the E15 Mothers and the Carpenters action group, there must be some disquiet now that it is clear that her record on housing is worse than that of former Mayor Wales.

 Homeless Children

When we look at the figures for children in Newham compared to London as a whole the situation is, if anything even worse. 

The London average of households in B&B accommodation is 110. In Newham the figure is 408. In 2018 the figures were 85 and 74 respectively. Newham was below the London average. Now it is almost four times worse with the actual number of families in B&B being five times higher than the 2018 figure.

In respect of children, councils across London have worked to reduce the number of children housed in B&Bs and they have made slow but steady progress reducing the numbers. 

In Newham the opposite has happened. While London figures are going down, Newham figures are shooting up, with 146 households with children in B&B and 63 being there for more than six weeks.

It’s time to get the children out of B&Bs. The Mayor likes to talk a lot about putting people at the heart of all she does. 

Perhaps it is time for a little less talk and a little more action.