Many of us know of the crisis in the rising number of individuals and families either waiting for social housing or living in temporary accommodation. UK Government data paints a stark picture: as of June 2023, there were 120,000 households living in temporary accommodation – more than double those in 2011. These are not just numbers – these are families, including more than 140,000 children, who are facing long periods of instability and uncertainty, many also being housed in low quality hostels, bed and breakfasts, hotels or short-term lets.

This crisis for families is also placing an unsustainable burden on local authority budgets. In the fiscal year 2022/23 councils across England and Wales spent at least £1.7bn on temporary accommodation – two and a half times more than a decade ago. These escalating costs are driven by a variety of factors including inflation and a shortage of options. Concerningly, the homelessness charity, Shelter, has warned that brokers are exploiting the difficulties faced by local authorities in sourcing temporary accommodation – creating a lucrative market for themselves.