Temporary accommodation and its impact on neurodivergent children
Tabled 4 March 2026 by Sarah Gibson
That this House notes with grave concern the findings of the report entitled ‘It’s Like Torture’: Life in Temporary Accommodation for Neurodivergent Children and their Families, published in 2026 by King’s College London and partners; further notes evidence presented in the report that temporary accommodation can expose neurodivergent children to chronic sensory, emotional and psychological harm, including regression, self-harm, disrupted education and serious safeguarding risks; recognises that 172,420 children were living in temporary accommodation in England in 2025, with neurodivergent children disproportionately affected; acknowledges the report’s warning that current housing policy risks subjecting vulnerable children to conditions that may amount to systemic cruelty; welcomes practical recommendations set out in Chapter 8 of the report, including the implementation of the SAFE protocol to ensure schools and GPs are notified when a child becomes homeless; calls on local authorities to avoid the placement of families with children in bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation wherever possible, in recognition of the risks posed by overcrowding, lack of safe space and unsuitable environments; further welcomes the approach of Wiltshire Council, which already does not place children in bed and breakfast or hotel accommodation; and urges the Government to strengthen statutory guidance, ensure full implementation of forthcoming Child Poverty and Homelessness strategies, and provide adequate resourcing so that no child’s health, development or life chances are harmed by unsuitable temporary accommodation.