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Supporters of the \u2018Fix the Five Basics\u2019 campaign<\/p>\nA new campaign has listed five basic standards of living that should always be met whenever a family is placed into temporary accommodation by a local council, reports Kumail Jaffer, Local Democracy Reporter<\/p>\n
Supporters of the \u2018Fix the Five Basics\u2019 campaign<\/p>\n
London\u2019s boroughs have been asked to commit to basic living standards in temporary accommodation as new analysis reveals the crisis is getting worse in almost every part of the capital.<\/p>\n
Data published as part of Trust for London\u2019s \u2018poverty profile\u2019 research<\/a> show that 24 of London\u2019s 32 boroughs \u2013 equivalent to three-quarters \u2013 have seen an increase in the number of households in temporary accommodation year-on-year.<\/p>\n Overall, 76,000 households are now in temporary accommodation across London, an increase of 10% on the previous year. Two-thirds of these households include children.<\/p>\n A new campaign has now called on every council in the capital to commit to ensuring all households in temporary accommodation have access to the \u2018five basics\u2019 \u2013 kitchen facilities, laundry facilities, storage space, Wi-Fi internet or clear information about their situation.<\/p>\n Albinia Stanley, co-ordinator of the \u2018Fix the Five Basics\u2019 campaign, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: \u201cFamilies in temporary accommodation are living without the basics the rest of us take for granted. Cooking facilities, laundry, Wi-Fi, storage, clear information: these are not big asks.<\/p>\n \u201cSome London councils have already started delivering them. We\u2019re calling on every candidate standing in May\u2019s elections to pledge to fix the five basics in their borough. This is a chance to make a real difference.\u201d<\/p>\n Faith is a mother of two who has lived in temporary accommodation since 2022. Her name has been changed to protect her identity. She said: \u201cMany people like me are raising their children without these basics for months or even years.<\/p>\n \u201cWithout these basics it\u2019s hard to survive, let alone rebuild your life and get back on your feet. But it doesn\u2019t have to be this way.\u201d<\/p>\n Campaigners say that being deprived of any of the five basics can have a major impact on families, whether it be difficulty preparing meals, children being unable to complete homework without Wi-Fi, households falling into debt to store their belongings, or simply the anguish and confusions caused by a lack of\u00a0 clear information about their rights or when they will be moved on.<\/p>\n In Newham, the equivalent of 6% of all households are now in temporary accommodation \u2013 the highest rate in the country and more than ten times the average for England.<\/p>\n Westminster (3.4%), Lambeth (3.2%), Southwark (3%) and Hackney (2.8%) also have rates far above the national figure. The London average is around two per cent.<\/p>\n
\u201cZ2K\u2019s research suggests that when people are denied the Five Basics, their health worsens, their costs soar, and their chances of moving on from homelessness decline.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019re calling on all London local election candidates to match the commitments made in boroughs like Westminster and commit to fixing the Five Basics, so that stays in temporary accommodation are as safe, stable and short as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Wandsworth, Westminster, Greenwich and Lewisham have all committed to work towards implementing the five basics in their boroughs, while discussions are ongoing with candidates from major parties in more than ten boroughs across London, according to the campaign.<\/p>\n Questioned about the state of some temporary accommodation centres in 2023, Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan told assembly members: \u201cI recognise that councils are finding it increasingly difficult to secure temporary accommodation, but it must be of decent condition.\u201d<\/p>\n More generally, Khan has said the \u201ccreation of more genuinely affordable homes is the long-term solution to the worsening crisis in temporary accommodation\u201d.<\/p>\n However, the existence of an unfair housing rule currently allows local authorities to deem someone \u2018intentionally homeless\u2019 if they refuse an offer of housing and they deem that an \u2018unreasonable refusal\u2019.<\/p>\n Reports suggest that Londoners are routinely being moved to temporary accommodation in Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Middlesbrough, sometimes for years at a time. Enfield Council is frequently moving families to Hartlepool and Durham<\/a>.<\/p>\n There have been multiple cases of residents being told they have to accept a long distance offer \u2013 whether temporary or permanent \u2013 or the council will discharge its legal duty to house them, meaning they are homeless and on their own.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Khan told the LDRS: \u201cLondon, alongside the rest of the country, is working to tackle increasing numbers of households needing temporary accommodation.<\/p>\n \u201cEnsuring better quality and more cost-effective temporary accommodation is a key element of the work City Hall is doing with local councils and partners through the Ending Homelessness Accelerator Programme to build a safer, fairer London for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n A Westminster City Council spokesperson said:\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThis is a national challenge, but its impact is particularly severe in areas like Westminster where there is so much demand for homes. We have 4,500 households in temporary accommodation\u00a0and the reality of the housing crisis in central London means we will need to continue providing housing for those in need.\u201d<\/p>\n Independent news outlets like ours \u2013 reporting for the community without rich backers \u2013 are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.\u00a0<\/p>\n The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.\u00a0<\/p>\n If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Choose the news. Don\u2019t lose the news.<\/p>\n Monthly direct debit\u00a0<\/p>\n Annual direct debit<\/p>\n \u00a35 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month\u2019s paper before anyone else, \u00a310 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month\u2019s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. \u00a350 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n More information on supporting us monthly or yearly\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n
\nSamuel Thomas, senior policy adviser at anti-poverty charity Z2K, said: \u201cTackling London\u2019s temporary accommodation crisis has never been more urgent, with our advisers supporting increasing numbers of families trapped without access to the essentials we all need to get by.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/10-ED.png\")
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