822 children in Yorkshire and Humber will be homeless this Christmas

Wednesday, 5 December 2018 07:00

New analysis from Shelter has found a 9% increase in the number of homeless children in Yorkshire and the Humber in the last five years.

The charity estimates that 822 children in the area will now wake up Christmas morning without a permanent home.

Shelter warns the impact of the housing crisis will be felt across a generation as one in every 103 children in Britain is now homeless.

The research found that 131,000 children in Britain are now homeless, the highest number in over a decade.

Greg Beales, director of campaigns at Shelter said, “No child should be homeless. But for the generation growing up in the housing crisis, this is the grim reality for many.

“The number of children hidden away in hostels and BnBs is enough to make anyone’s heart sink. These are not places for children. We hear about cold, damp – even rats. Young children are sharing beds with multiple family members, trying to play in dirty public corridors, and having to leave their block in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.

“Over the last five years, hundreds of thousands of children have known what it’s like to be homeless. The impact these young people cannot be overstated. It doesn’t have to be this way. If we act now, we can change tomorrow to make sure every child has somewhere they can call home.”

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