Temporary accommodation by borough
Key points
- The proportion of households in temporary accommodation has come down almost everywhere in London.
- The differences between boroughs are huge. In Merton, around 1 household per 1,000 is in temporary accommodation. In Newham, it is 42.
- The rate of temporary accommodation has fallen faster in Inner London than Outer London, although the rate remains higher.
Households in temporary accommodation by borough
Note: The graph shows the borough in which households come from, not the one in which they are housed. So a household from Westminster placed in Barking would show up in the former.
What does this graph show?
Like homelessness acceptances, the proportion of households in temporary accommodation has come down almost everywhere. But the differences between boroughs are huge. In Merton, around 1 household per 1,000 is in temporary accommodation. In Newham, it is 42.
Like the homelessness graph above, this represents local need as well as a local practice. There is the additional factor of local availability of suitable housing.
Inner London has a higher rate than Outer London, although its decline has actually been greater (a fall of 6 per 1,000) than Outer London (a fall of 4 per 1,000, from a lower starting point).
South London boroughs, including Merton, Greenwich, Bexley, Richmond and Sutton have a proportion of households in temporary accommodation similar to the national average. Tower Hamlets, Enfield, Redbridge, Brent, Haringey and Newham are all at least 20 times the national average.
Data used
Department for Communities and Local Government
Indicator last updated: 30 January 2012
Topic:
Groups:
Boroughs:
- Barking and Dagenham
- Barnet
- Bexley
- Brent
- Bromley
- Camden
- City of London
- Croydon
- Ealing
- Enfield
- Greenwich
- Hackney
- Hammersmith and Fulham
- Haringey
- Harrow
- Havering
- Hillingdon
- Hounslow
- Islington
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Kingston upon Thames
- Lambeth
- Lewisham
- Merton
- Newham
- Redbridge
- Richmond upon Thames
- Southwark
- Sutton
- Tower Hamlets
- Waltham Forest
- Wandsworth
- Westminster
Housing and homelessness
- Households accepted as homeless by borough
- Households accepted as homeless and in temporary accommodation
- Length of stay in temporary accommodation
- Mortgage repossessions by borough
- Landlord repossessions by borough
- Rough sleeping in London
- Temporary accommodation by tenure
- Overcrowded households by tenure over time
- House prices by borough
- Changes to Housing Benefit
- London households affected by Housing Benefit changes
- Rental shortfall resulting from Housing Benefit changes
- Housing tenure
Case Study
Case study: Daniel
Daniel, aged 59 grew up in Cornwall. For a number of years he was in the RAF, later becoming a lorry driver. He divorced after 23 years of marriage and ended up homeless in London. His real words are...More…
Glossary
Temporary Accommodation:
Otherwise known as "interim" or "emergency" accommodation in B&Bs, hostels, bedsits and flats. People who are recognised as homeless by their local authorities are housed in temporary accommodation until their needs have been properly assessed and suitable accommodation found
Homeless:
To be formally recognised as homeless, the person or household must either lack a 'licence to occupy' a home, be unable to access their normal accommodation, or it must be considered unreasonable for them to have to occupy the home they are in
(Adapted from the Housing Act 1996 Part VII para 175)