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Rough Sleeping: Families with Children
11 March 2026
Lead MP
Paula Barker
Liverpool Wavertree
Lab
Responding Minister
Alison McGovern
Tags
Asylum & RefugeesJustice & CourtsEducationForeign AffairsBenefits & WelfareLocal Government
Word Count: 12184
Other Contributors: 12
At a Glance
Paula Barker raised concerns about rough sleeping: families with children in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
Barker asked the Minister to set out what accountability measures will be put in place to ensure that children are not forced to sleep rough. She also requested further information on the timeline for consultations on the toolkit and the new duty to collaborate, and asked for a commitment to legislative change on social homes allocation policy. Mohamed asks the Government to take steps to ensure that no local authority unlawfully refuses emergency accommodation to families with children and to monitor compliance with statutory duties. He also inquires about additional financial support for councils dealing with the costs of temporary accommodation and seeks specific measures within the Government's homelessness strategy to prevent families from reaching the point of rough sleeping.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Paula Barker expressed deep concern about the growing number of families with children who are homeless and sleeping rough. She cited a report by Crisis which identified 134 cases over six months, including children as young as four and pregnant mothers. She noted that despite clear government policy and laws, children are being turned away by local authorities, forcing them to sleep on the streets. She highlighted that the Home Office's policy is a key driver of homelessness among refugees, with homelessness after move-on from asylum accommodation rising by 37%. Iqbal Mohamed expresses concern about the increasing number of families with children being pushed into homelessness and even sleeping rough. He cites statistics showing that 4,793 people slept rough on a single night in England in autumn 2025, a 171% increase since 2010, and that over 175,000 children are currently homeless in temporary accommodation. He highlights a case of a single mother with three children, one with autism and asthma, who has been sleeping in her car and is now in unsuitable bed and breakfast accommodation. Mohamed also mentions that local authorities are struggling with financial pressures, limited housing supply, and overstretched budgets, leading to skyrocketing costs of temporary accommodation.
Bayo Alaba
Lab
Southend East and Rochford
The MP noted the distressing situation of children sleeping rough and highlighted that around 176,000 children are believed to be homeless and living in temporary accommodation, the highest number since records began. He praised the third sector's role, particularly mentioning HARP in Southend, for their work in safeguarding vulnerable residents.
David Williams
Lab
Stoke-on-Trent North
The MP stressed the importance of ensuring every child has a safe and warm home, highlighting the challenges faced by families even when they receive a home due to furniture poverty. He called for an increase in the percentage of social housing offered on a furnished tenancy basis and highlighted the need for more affordable social homes, noting that over 3,500 people are on Stoke-on-Trent's housing waiting list.
West Dunbartonshire
Mr McAllister highlighted the rising homelessness in Scotland, noting a 58% increase in open homelessness cases since the SNP came to power in 2007. He cited the high number of children in temporary accommodation and the severe impact on their education and health. He also mentioned the tragic figures of people dying while experiencing homelessness, and the need for more housing.
Edward Morello
Lib Dem
West Dorset
The MP intervened to discuss the impact of the benefits system on families breaking up and the need for a system that ensures parents have access to their children and can stay in accommodation.
Iqbal Mohamed
Ind
Dewsbury and Batley
The speaker highlighted the shift in housing benefit from councils to private landlords, arguing that this has impacted not just housing but also wider public services. He called for councils to be allowed to buy back homes or build new ones to reinvest housing benefit in local services. The right-to-buy scheme led to councils losing large portions of their housing stock to people buying houses at a discount. Iqbal Mohamed questioned whether the Government's decision to take the proceeds of sales instead of using them to replenish the stock was a mistake.
Jessica Brown-Fuller
Lib Dem
Chichester
Jessica Brown-Fuller intervened to acknowledge the resource challenges faced by local authorities and the commendable work of charities like Stonepillow, which supports thousands of people experiencing homelessness in her constituency. She emphasized the need for the charitable and voluntary sector not to have to step in where local authorities are underfunded.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Jim Shannon discussed the issue of children as young as three years old sleeping rough with their families, emphasizing the need for immediate support and temporary accommodation. He highlighted the work of local charities and church groups in providing aid and the importance of addressing domestic abuse as a driver of homelessness. Shannon also noted the rise in the number of children living in temporary accommodation in Northern Ireland, noting the inadequacy of some temporary housing conditions. Jim Shannon mentioned a case in Northern Ireland where a mother with two children was sleeping rough in a square and could not get temporary accommodation due to a lack of availability from the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. However, the Housing Executive provided accommodation in a local hotel temporarily.
Lee Pitcher
Lab
Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme
Mr Pitcher shared a personal experience of family homelessness and stressed the long-term impact on children's lives. He advocated for a Housing First approach, ensuring families are moved into stable accommodation quickly, and called for comprehensive support services including mental health, education, and financial assistance to help families rebuild their lives.
Paul Holmes
Con
Hamble Valley
Paul Holmes congratulated Paula Barker on securing the debate and acknowledged the rising numbers of rough sleepers, particularly families with children. He expressed concern over the lack of cross-departmental approach in the homelessness strategy and the absence of a cross-ministerial oversight. He highlighted the issue of insufficient funding for Housing First and the need for a cross-departmental approach embedded in Government Departments' constitutions. He also mentioned the rise in rough sleepers, with figures showing 4,793 people sleeping rough in England, an 8% increase in female rough sleepers, and a 31% increase in the north-east of England. He noted the challenges faced by families in temporary accommodation and the need for a sustainable solution involving increased supply of homes, particularly social and affordable housing. Paul Holmes asked the Minister to confirm her intention regarding the frequency of meetings for the interministerial group and how often it will meet during the year.
Rachel Gilmour
Lib Dem
Tiverton and Minehead
Rachel Gilmour intervened to highlight the high number of young people sleeping rough in Somerset, emphasizing that rural rough sleeping is often overlooked in national policy considerations.
Steve Witherden
Lab
Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr
Steve Witherden highlighted the increasing costs of living, unaffordable private rents, and the lack of social housing, which force many families, including pregnant women and children as young as four, to sleep rough. He cited reports indicating the detrimental effects of homelessness on children's health, education, and life chances, and the need for action to prevent more people from being forced into homelessness. He called for the Government to end the routine freezing of Local Housing Allowance (LHA) and permanently relink it to the 50th percentile of local private rents to prevent homelessness and tackle inequality.
Will Forster
Lib Dem
Woking
Will Forster discussed the growing issue of rough sleeping and homelessness, particularly affecting families with children. He cited an increase in council spending on temporary accommodation from £200 million in 2015 to over £1.3 billion today. Forster highlighted a case in Surrey where funding for a support initiative for single mothers was withdrawn, leading to potential evictions and rough sleeping. He also mentioned the deaths of 74 children in poor quality temporary accommodation, with 58 under the age of one.
Government Response
Alison McGovern
Government Response
The Government will continue to support councils to meet their obligations under the Children Act 1989 and Housing Act 1996, ensuring families with children are not left without accommodation. The Government is providing over £3.6 billion in funding for homelessness and rough sleeping support, aiming to eliminate B&B accommodation for families except in emergencies and halve rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament. The Minister discussed the interministerial group's active involvement and plans to tackle homelessness through various Government strategies, including the national plan to end homelessness, building 1.5 million new homes, lifting 550,000 children out of poverty, and addressing homelessness from public institutions. The Minister also mentioned a value for money review of homelessness support led by the Treasury and ongoing work with the Department for Work and Pensions, Ministry of Justice, Home Office, and Department for Education.
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About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.