Temporary accommodation is harming children. For neurodivergent children, the impact can be even greater. 

A new BBC report has highlighted the devastating impact temporary accommodation can have on neurodivergent children and their families. 

Drawing on research from King’s College London, the article tells the stories of families living in cramped, noisy and unsuitable accommodation, where children with autism, sensory needs, or suspected neurodivergence are struggling with sensory overload, disrupted routines, repeated moves, and barriers to accessing education, health and SEND support. 

Children in temporary accommodation already often face overcrowding, poor conditions, repeated moves, disrupted education and loss of stability.  

But for neurodivergent children, this harm can be intensified.  

The King’s College London report estimate that tens of thousands of neurodivergent children in England may be affected, and warns that they are the ‘hidden of the hidden; overlooked, with no official data on how many are affected, creating a major policy blind spot. 

That should stop us in our tracks. And it’s exactly why 165,000 Reasons exists. 

Temporary accommodation is not just a housing issue. It is a childhood issue. A health issue. An education issue. A safeguarding issue.

 

The BBC article echoes research from our official campaign partner, the Shared Health Foundation. Their studies have highlighted the damaging effects of temporary accommodation on children’s health, education and wellbeing more broadly.  

No child should be growing up in accommodation that damages their health, education or wellbeing. No parent should have to fight across disconnected systems just to keep their child safe, settled and supported.  And no child’s home should be temporary. 

165,000 Reasons is calling for urgent, practical action:

Better standards now – temporary accommodation must be safe, suitable and dignified for children and families. 

Faster routes into stable homes – families need clearer, quicker routes out of temporary accommodation. 

Long-term reform – the system needs national coordination, better data, funding solutions, more genuinely affordable homes and joined-up support across housing, health, education and children’s services. 

The issues raised in the BBC article underline why this campaign must continue to grow. 

We need councils, charities, housing providers, developers, investors, businesses, policymakers and people with lived experience working together to ensure children are not left to carry the cost of system failure. 

Because behind every number is a child. 

A child who needs somewhere safe to sleep. Somewhere quiet enough to rest. Somewhere stable enough to learn. Somewhere secure enough to belong. 

There are 165,000 reasons to act. Every one of them is a child. 

Join us: 165000reasons.co.uk