Manchester has the second highest number of homeless children living in temporary accommodation outside of the capital
It’s another grim record(Image: Manchester Evening News)
A record number of homeless children were living in temporary accommodation in March, as new figures show Labour is failing to tackle the country’s homelessness crisis.
There were a total of 8,651 children declared homeless and living in temporary accommodation in Greater Manchester between January and March this year, according to figures from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
That’s up from 7,896 at the end of June, just before the new Labour government came to power, and is the highest number since comparative council-level figures became available in June 2019.
Back then there were 3,857 homeless children in temporary accommodation across Greater Manchester. The bulk of the total are located in Manchester.
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There were 4,587 homeless children in the city at the end of March. That’s up from 4,326 in the three months to June last year, and 2,883 in the three months to June 2019.
Manchester has the second highest number of homeless children living in temporary accommodation of any local authority outside of London. Birmingham has the highest number outside the capital with 6,364 homeless children.
The number of homeless children living in temporary accommodation across England has also risen to record levels. There were 169,050 children living in temporary accommodation across the country in the three months ending March 2025.
It’s the highest number on record, up from 159,380 at the end of June last year, just before the election. National figures go further back than local data.
There were 51,310 homeless children living in temporary accommodation in March 2010, just before the Conservative-led coalition government came to power. That means the number more than trebled under the coalition and Conservative governments.
One encouraging stat for the government, however, is that the number of families living in B&Bs long term is falling. There were 3,770 families with children who had been living in B&Bs for over six weeks at the end of June 2024.
The number of children living in temporary accommodation has risen across the country
That was the highest on record and was up from 160 in 2010 before the coalition government came to power. The number has fallen consistently since then and currently stands at 2,300 households. It has also fallen in our region.
A total of 110 households with children had been living in B&Bs for more than six weeks by then end of March this year across Greater Manchester. That’s down from 202 at the end of December and 188 in June last year.
Joseph Elliott, Lead Analyst at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said: “New official statistics reveal a worsening housing crisis across England, with the highest number of children on record living in temporary accommodation. This is more than double the number of children compared to when Labour were last in office.
“Tackling this unacceptable trend must be a core priority for the Labour Government. The forthcoming housing, homelessness and child poverty strategies must work together to tackle the root causes of the housing crisis. This means addressing both the unaffordability and insecurity that drive homelessness.
“Positive steps have already been taken, including the Renters’ Rights Bill — which will protect renters from eviction — as well as additional funding for social housing.
“Ending the tragedy of children living in hotels and B&Bs will require more decisive action to make private renting affordable. Ending no-fault evictions is only part of the story — escalating rents and frozen housing benefits are locking families out of homes altogether.”
Homelessness minister Rushanara Ali visited Manchester last year(Image: MoHCLG)
Homelessness minister Rushanara Ali said: “Behind every homeless statistic is a person failed by the very system that is supposed to protect them.
“Reversing years of failure won’t happen overnight and I am determined to go further and faster to end the devastating crisis we inherited.
“The latest figures show positive signs of fewer families living in B&Bs and more households moving into settled accommodation, but I know far more needs to be done.
“We’re already investing £1 billion into councils this year, including the largest ever cash boost in homelessness prevention, and thanks to the recent Spending Review this record investment has now been protected for future years ensuring continued support for those who need it most.
“We must dig deep to tackle the root causes of homelessness. That’s why we’ve announced a huge £39 billion investment to build hundreds of thousands of social and affordable homes over the next decade, alongside abolishing Section 21 no fault evictions and driving up standards to deliver safe and secure housing for all.”