The Bolton children living in temporary accommodation

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government data show 226 households were living in temporary accommodation as of the end of March.

In these households, there were 342 children, up from 231 last year.

(Image: NQ)

Temporary accommodation is a form of homelessness and can include people living in hostels, house shares or bed and breakfasts as councils try to find them more permanent housing.

In Bolton, there are more than 9,000 people on waiting lists for social housing. 

Homeless people can stay in temporary accommodation "months or even years" before being moved on to permanent placements according to Shelter. 

Cllr Hamid Khurram (Image: Cllr Hamid Khurram)

Cllr Hamid Khurram, Executive Member for Housing in Bolton Council, said: " I am deeply concerned about the increasing number of children and families living in temporary accommodations.

“This situation highlights the urgent need for a more robust and sustainable approach to housing in our borough.

“Temporary accommodations, while necessary in emergencies, are not suitable long-term solutions, especially for children who need stability to thrive.

“In Bolton, we are committed to addressing this issue by accelerating efforts to increase the availability of affordable housing and working closely with local organizations to support families in need.

“Unfortunately, the failure of previous central governments to prioritize affordable housing has contributed to the current situation.

“However, it is encouraging that the new Prime Minister has made affordable housing a key priority, and we are hopeful that this renewed focus will lead to meaningful change.

“Our priority in Bolton is to ensure that every child has access to a safe and permanent home.

“We are actively working on expanding our housing options and improving support services to reduce the reliance on temporary accommodations.

“It’s essential that we continue to push for long-term solutions that not only address the immediate needs of these families but also prevent future occurrences.

Bolton is dedicated to creating a community where every child has the opportunity to grow up in a secure and stable environment, and we will continue to take the necessary steps to achieve this goal."

Billa Ahmed

Billa Ahmed, Homeless Aid UK's co-founder, said: "Families are turning up to our soup kitchens who are desperate right now with the cost of living crisis, utility bills being so high and rent going through the roof.

"People aren’t able to afford or give the top up for the rent and the cost of everything.

" We are seeing a lot more turning up with their children.

"We have families and people in temporary accommodation calling us at the food bank.

"If their accommodation has a cooking facility we try to accommodate them, if it doesn't, we give them things they can make with a kettle like Pot Noodle or bread or cereal and milk.

"Unfortunately it’s only the beginning, and I’ve been saying a few years it’s going to get a lot worse than it is.

"There isn’t much property available. The landlords are selling up and the rents are going so high that a lot more people are spending more time in the temporary accommodation and they just can’t move on.

"Bolton Council are doing everything they can, we try to work with them. If there’s no property available, there’s nothing you can really do to move people who are in temporary accommodation."

The Housing Act gives councils a legal responsibility to provide temporary accommodation to people who need it.

But, homeless families waiting for housing can also be placed in emergency accommodation like B&B hotels.

In Bolton, 64 households were living in B&B hotels as of March.

By law, these hotels are meant to be used only for families for no longer than six weeks.

But across England, the number of households with children exceeding that timeframe has rocketed by 80 per cent to 3,250 this year.

This included six in Bolton.

Housing charity Shelter said this Government must "tackle the housing emergency head on".

Chief executive Polly Neate said: "Without a clear plan to invest in genuinely affordable social homes, thousands more children will be forced to grow up in damaging temporary accommodation, spending months if not years living out of suitcases, crammed into grim bedsits and B&Bs, and unable to put down any roots."

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: "We are facing the most acute housing crisis in living memory and homelessness remains at record levels. This is nothing short of a national scandal.

"Urgent action must be taken to fix this. That’s why we are working across Government and with local leaders to develop a long-term strategy to end homelessness for good."

To prevent people from becoming homeless in the first place, Ms Rayner said the Government will deliver "the biggest increase in social and affordable homebuilding in a generation".