100.000 families in temporary accommodation this Christmas

8.29.05pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 26th Dec 2005

Lynne Featherstone MP, Liberal Democrat member for Hornsey and Wood Green, has uncovered figures showing a staggering rise of 55% increase of families spending Christmas in temporary accommodation.The figures show that the number of homeless families in temporary accommodation in England has grown from 65,170 in 2000 to 101,070 in 2005. An increase of 55%. Crawley and the wider South East of England area show a rise of 29%.

%age Increase in Number of Families in Temporary Accommodation 2000-2005

East of England 85%

London 65%

East Midlands 53%

Yorkshire and Humber 50%

South West 41%

North West 41%

South East 29%

West Midlands 28%

Ms Featherstone said: "These figures are shocking. A growing number of Britons are going to have to spend Christmas day in temporary accommodation.The Government have failed to get to grips with the problem of homelessness. There is no such thing as a typical homeless family. For some the root cause of homelessness may be traced back to a loss of a job, the death of a loved one, the break-up of a long-term relationship."

"The Government has turned a blind eye to the plight of homeless families. More than 100,000 families will be spending this Christmas in temporary accommodation."