Almost half of academics work with youngsters who’ve skilled homelessness
Teachers are on the frontline of the housing emergency with nearly half working with children with experiences of homelessness, a brand new ballot reveals.
Charity Shelter stated they’re witnessing the “horrors of homelessness” with children lacking days within the classroom, starvation and exhaustion.
The survey by YouGov for the charity Shelter discovered 49% of academics in England’s state faculties say a baby they educate or work together with, or attends the college they work at, have been homeless or have been pressured to dwell in momentary lodging within the final 12 months.
Of these academics, a devastating 91% say housing-related points are leading to youngsters coming into the classroom drained. An extra 86% say children had missed faculty because of residing in dangerous housing or experiencing homelessness.
Shelter warns the housing disaster is “inflicting untold damage on children’s education as teachers report missed school days, hunger and exhaustion”.
Shelter’s Chief Executive Polly Neate stated: “With 1 in 84 youngsters homeless in England proper now, the immense injury being inflicted on their training is a nationwide scandal.
“An alarming number of teachers are bearing witness to the horrors of homelessness and bad housing that families tell our services about every day. Appalling stories of children falling asleep in class because they don’t have their own bed, and parents filled with worry because they can’t even cook a hot meal in their grim hostel without a kitchen.”
The latest statistics, published by the Government in November, showed there were 138,930 children in temporary accommodation – a form of homelessness – in England at the end of June. This is a record high since the measure was first recorded.
A Department for Levelling Up spokesman said: “All children deserve a safe and decent place to call home. Since 2010, we have delivered over 684,800 new affordable homes, including over 171,100 homes for social rent and our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme is delivering even more.
“We’re making the private rented sector fairer through the Renters Reform Bill, which includes abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions so tenants have greater security in their homes. And we’re spending £1 billion to tackle homelessness and get families into permanent accommodation.”
Shelter has urged the public to support its winter appeal to help offer advice and support to families this Christmas and sooner or later.
