No family should have to raise their children in temporary accommodation

Every week I speak to parents doing their best in incredibly difficult circumstances. Families living in a single room, children with no space to play, no privacy, and no certainty about what comes next. It is not right and it is not sustainable.

These cases are not one-offs. They are part of a wider housing crisis, and here in Oldham there are currently 725 children living in temporary accommodation. Behind every number is a child without a stable home and a family under immense pressure. This is amplified nationally at over 165,000 children living in temporary accomodotion. I said to the House, 𝙞𝒇 𝒊𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝒐𝙩 𝙜𝒐𝙤𝒅 𝒆𝙣𝒐𝙪𝒈𝙝 𝙛𝒐𝙧 𝙤𝒖𝙧 𝙤𝒘𝙣 𝙘𝒉𝙞𝒍𝙙𝒓𝙚𝒏, 𝙞𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝙤𝒕 𝒈𝙤𝒐𝙙 𝙚𝒏𝙤𝒖𝙜𝒉 𝒇𝙤𝒓 𝒂𝙣𝒚 𝒄𝙝𝒊𝙡𝒅.

For 14 years the Conservatives left working families behind. They underfunded councils, failed to build the homes we need, and allowed rents to soar while housing support was frozen. The new Labour Government is now getting on with the job of putting that right.

I have raised this issue in Parliament and I am now working in government to deliver the change families need. Labour has committed to building 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. We will support councils and housing associations through a new Housing Recovery Plan, and reform the planning system to get Britain building again. We are ending no fault evictions under Section 21, cracking down on unfair service charges, and taking action on poor quality housing so renters and leaseholders get a fairer deal.

Here in Oldham the council is already leading the way. Over 500 new council homes are being built and through a long-term partnership with MUSE the town centre is being rebuilt with more town centre living at its heart. The council is also taking action to end the use of hotels and out of borough placements which are expensive for the taxpayer and often damaging for families and children who need to stay connected to their schools, support networks and communities.

Families deserve better. Children deserve stability. I will keep working nationally and locally to make sure they get it.