Housing Instability: Why So Many Families Are Left in Limbo.
Temporary accommodation is meant to be short-term housing for people facing homelessness. However, ongoing housing shortages in the UK are forcing many families to stay in temporary accommodation for longer periods.
This instability and frequent moves disrupt daily life, particularly for families, refugees, and vulnerable groups. This article looks at the challenges of prolonged stays in temporary accommodation and how organisations like RMC support these families.
Housing Insecurity Among Refugees and Migrants- use of temporary accommodation
Refugees and asylum seekers are particularly vulnerable to housing insecurity. Upon receiving approval for their asylum claim, they are given just 28 days to leave asylum accommodation, which often leads to homelessness or dependence on temporary accommodation. Due to limited availability, temporary accommodation is usually reserved for families or individuals with significant vulnerabilities. With limited temporary accommodation available and rental prices rising, many refugees, especially families, struggle to find stable housing, especially on asylum support of just £5 per day.
Many refugees and migrants lack a full understanding of their housing rights, access to housing is often dependent on the local authority where they are seeking support, and each authority may have its own set of eligibility criteria. Frequent relocations during the asylum process disrupt access to housing within previous local authorities, even if individuals have started building support networks, making long-term housing difficult to secure.
In early 2024, more than 104,000 households, including 127,000 children, were living in temporary accommodation, this number has more than doubled since 2010 (MH CLG, 2024). With a shortage of affordable housing, many families are forced to stay in Hotels or B&Bs for months. Between 2021 and 2022, the number of families with children in B&Bs increased by 65%, with many staying beyond the legal six-week limit (Wilson & Barton, 2023). With many having to frequently relocate to other temporary accommodations due to overcrowding and availability. This instability creates significant stress for families. Despite Councils’ target to move families into permanent housing within three months, the severe shortages mean that families often face much longer periods of uncertainty.
The Cost of Frequent Relocation
Families in temporary accommodation are frequently relocated far from their communities, which disrupts access to education, healthcare, and social support.
Effects on Healthcare:
Temporary accommodation disrupts healthcare, as frequent relocations often separate families from their GPs, making ongoing medical care difficult (British Medical Association, 2023). Limited cooking facilities also prevent children from receiving nutritious meals, which can hinder their development. Moreover, the instability of temporary accommodation exacerbates mental health issues, with families being three times more likely to experience mental health problems than those in stable housing (NHF, 2022). Children are particularly affected by these moves, as the lack of stability leads to significant psychological stress, including anxiety and helplessness (Lin, Twisk, & Huang, 2012).
Effects on Education:
In addition, extended stays in temporary accommodation significantly affect children’s education. The lack of stability leads to frequent school absences, with children missing an average of 55 school days per year due to travel challenges or disruptions in their living situation (Children’s Commissioner, 2023). As a result, these children fall behind their UK-born peers, widening the gap in educational and social opportunities.
Effects on family finance:
Additionally, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation highlights that families face higher risks of job instability, and financial strain, making it increasingly difficult to maintain routines, meet their living needs and achieve long-term well-being. This instability leaves families struggling to access support, further exacerbating their disadvantage.
Effects on social belonging and integration:
Families in temporary accommodation face higher risk of social isolation (Joseph Rowntree Foundation). Frequent moves lead to families being unable to build community bonds, if friendships are built they may then be moved miles from their support system. This additionally applies if children are forced to move schools.”One of our clients, a single mother, shared how constant relocations have deeply affected her family. She said, ‘Early mornings and long bus rides are now part of our routine as I struggle to get my kids to different schools before heading to work. The travel leaves them exhausted, with no time to play or even rest. It’s wearing us down.’” – Stacy, Housing Advisor at RMC.
This is just a few of the ways long term stays in temporary accommodation and risk of frequent moving can affect these families, placing them at a further disadvantage.
Conclusion and areas for development
At the Refugee and Migrant Centre (RMC), between March 2023 and April 2024, we supported with 3,918 housing-related enquiries from individuals originating from 105 countries, many of whom were unfamiliar with their housing rights or how to get the help they needed. We provided personalised advice on eligibility and applying for housing, help to gather essential documents, and advocacy on behalf of our clients. The unfortunate reality of housing for many refugee and migrants leaves them with very few options, our staff work to manage our client’s expectations, by educating on the limited resources caused by the UK’s housing shortages and high demand for temporary accommodation. At RMC we want to empower our clients to live independently, to give them the tools and knowledge to navigate the housing system, whilst also being there to provide additional support as and where they need it.
RMC acknowledges the limited resources available to change the current housing system, but here are a few recommendations from charities that we agree with:
- Extended Move-on Period: Refugees currently have only 28 days to leave asylum accommodation after approval. Extending this to 56 days, as suggested by the British Red Cross (2023), would give refugees more time to find housing and access financial support, such as Universal Credit.
- Close to Community Resources:Placing families near schools, healthcare, and community centres helps them integrate and access support networks. Moving beyond hotel stays to provide accommodations with cooking facilities and internet access would lessen the impact of extended stays in temporary accommodation (Citizens UK).
Temporary accommodation is meant to be a short-term solution, but due to housing shortages, many families find themselves stuck in temporary accommodation for extended periods, causing major disruptions in their daily lives, these prolonged stays create significant challenges. Charities such as RMC continue to provide housing support and bridge the gap between refugees and migrants and the housing systems in the UK. To address this crisis, a comprehensive rethinking of the housing system is urgently needed to support the families affected by this growing issue.
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