90,000 British Children Will Wake Up Homeless This Christmas

Around 90,000 children in the UK will wake up this Christmas morning homeless, official government figures show.

The figures also show that the number of homeless families living in B&B’s has more than doubled in only three years, with many forced to endure dangerous living conditions.

An in-depth investigation into 20 homeless families found that more than half felt their temporary accommodation was unsafe, with parents reporting their children were exposed to drug and alcohol abuse, fighting, swearing and racist behaviour.

The emotional impact on homeless children and their families is devastating, with more than a half of parents saying their children’s mental health had suffered as a result of the unacceptable living conditions, including depression and panic attacks.

With the number of homeless families on the rise, the charity Shelter say they are bracing themselves for a surge in calls to its helpline over the festive season. In response Shelter has launched an urgent appeal to help its services cope with the extra demand.

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