There were 200 homeless children in Eastbourne as lockdown began

That’s according to Government figures, which show there were 199 children from 102 households living in temporary housing by the end of March – two per cent higher than the same time last year.

Housing charity Shelter has said it is ‘unbearable’ that tens of thousands of children had no permanent home when the pandemic took hold, after the national total hit a 14-year high.

Temporary accommodation can include bed and breakfasts, hostels, or other nightly housing.

Shelter has described B&Bs as ‘some of the worst places for families with children to live’ as they often involve entire households living in one small room.

In Eastbourne, households with children were most commonly in privately managed accommodation – 84 families in total.

Shelter chief executive Polly Neate said, “It’s unbearable to think tens of thousands of children were already homeless when the pandemic first took hold.

“What kind of futures will they have when they are spending formative time squashed into temporary homeless accommodation during a national lockdown?

“Life in temporary housing is hugely destabilising for children and can disrupt their development.”

Eastbourne council says there are currently 181 children in emergency accommodation from 91 households.

A spokesperson said, “Emergency accommodation is given to people who we believe are homeless and have a priority need.

“Sadly, we are managing a large cohort of customers who present as homeless on a daily basis.

“Our opportunities to house people in our own housing stock is limited by the very small movement out of our homes and a housing register in Eastbourne of around 1,100 applicants.

“However, we work closely with a wide range of different agencies to help prevent homelessness.”

Council officers are working to finalise plans for new mixed-tenure homes across the borough, including a significant number of affordable housing, they said.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government said, “Every child should have somewhere safe to live, and councils have a duty to provide temporary accommodation to those who need it, including families with children.

“We are committed to supporting homeless families and we have put in place more than half a billion pounds to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping this financial year.”

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