Southwark Liberal Democrats: Labour failing as 1 in 20 Southwark children left homeless

A new report by the New Economics Foundation (Nowhere to Grow: The Hidden Harm of Temporary Accommodation on Children) has revealed the shocking scale of child homelessness in Southwark.

The borough now has over 4,300 households in temporary accommodation – three quarters of them families with children or expectant mothers. The number of children in temporary accommodation has risen by 77% since 2020, with around 1 in 20 children in Southwark now homeless.

Despite making up just 1 in 200 households nationally, Southwark accounts for 1 in 30 of all households in temporary accommodation across England – showing the borough is carrying a vastly disproportionate share of the crisis.

Southwark Liberal Democrats say this is the direct result of Labour’s failure to provide enough genuinely affordable, family-sized homes, leaving children trapped for years in damp, overcrowded and insecure accommodation.

Cllr Victor Chamberlain, Leader of Southwark Liberal Democrats said:

“These figures should shame Labour. Southwark has one of the highest rates of child homelessness in the country, with thousands of children growing up in unsuitable, unstable housing. The consequences for their health, education and wellbeing are devastating and long-lasting.

No child should be without a safe, secure home — yet Labour has allowed this crisis to spiral out of control. Under Labour’s watch schools are closing in droves. In my ward Labour approved a luxury development of 900 homes with just 17% genuinely affordable homes and 12% family homes – they’re not looking after families. 

We strongly endorse the New Economics Foundation’s call for a dedicated Temporary Accommodation Family Support Coordinator to ensure children don’t fall through the cracks. Southwark Council must adopt this idea without delay.

We have also asked the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to review this report in full so that councillors, officers and partners face up to the scale of the crisis and put families and children first.

The Liberal Democrats are fighting for a better future: one where every family in Southwark has the stability of a decent home, and every child has the chance to grow, learn and thrive.”