Temporary Accommodation – what is it and how can it reduce homelessness

What is temporary accommodation?

Temporary accommodation can be defined as the housing arrangement made by the council and the individual or family to provide somewhere for individuals and families to stay for a short period of time. Individuals and families often seek temporary accommodation due to homelessness, displacement, or because they have a temporary need for shelter.

Temporary accommodation aims to provide a safe and compliant place for individuals and families to live until they can find more stable and secure permanent housing.

Official statistics show that the number of people living in temporary accommodation is at the highest it has been since records began 25 years ago, with almost 105,000 households currently without a permanent home.

More than a quarter of these households are being accommodated outside the local authority area they previously lived in because councils couldn’t find suitable housing locally. The cost-of-living crisis has increased the demand further and it is estimated it costs over a billion pounds a year to supply and fund temporary housing with most of the money going to private providers.

Types of temporary accommodation – what are they?

Across the UK there are several different types of temporary accommodation available for individuals and families in need. The list below highlights some of the main types of temporary accommodation which are used frequently:

1. Emergency Shelters

Emergency shelters provide immediate housing for individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness. They are typically operated by local authorities or charities and will offer basic amenities.

2. Bed and Breakfast (B&B)

Sometimes local authorities can place individuals and families into B &Bs as a temporary housing solution. Normally, this tends to be seen as a last resort due to the limited support it can offer.

3. Hostels

Hostels are another example that offers short-term accommodation to those in need including people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. Hostels will often provide extra support services and will either be run by charities or local authorities to ensure they provide all the support and amenities needed.

4. Supported Housing

Supported housing is mainly designed to help individuals with specific needs, such as those with mental health issues or substance abuse problems. This type of temporary accommodation in most cases will also provide on-site support services all the time.

5. Women’s Refuges

Another type of temporary housing includes women’s refuges where safe and secure shelter can be provided for women and children who are fleeing domestic violence or abuse.

6. Night shelters

Night shelters are an example of temporary accommodation which tends to typically be offered during the winter months to offer a warm and safe place to sleep for homeless individuals on the colder and wintery nights.

7. Rough Sleeper Services

This type of temporary housing is often run by specialised services and outreach teams to provide support for individuals sleeping rough on the streets to find temporary housing which gives individuals a safer place to sleep.

8. Short-Term Supported Accommodation

One of the last types of temporary housing is short-term supported accommodation. This can be offered to young people or care leavers to help ease the transition from care homes to independent living.

Temporary accommodation for the homeless – why is it important?

In the UK all local authorities are legally mandated to provide and offer housing to individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness or are more vulnerable to it. It is vital therefore that local authorities follow all the legal regulations and duties under the Housing Act 1996 and the extended duties under the Homeless Reduction Act 2017 to help reduce and prevent homelessness.

For this to happen local authorities must work collaboratively with housing associations, commissioners, and providers to overcome the housing challenges we are currently facing by providing fully safe and compliant temporary housing, as well as helping find more permanent housing for the future so individuals and families never have to find temporary housing again.

One of the main reasons why temporary housing is important therefore is it helps to reduce future homelessness as well as provide a safer environment for individuals and families to stay in whilst more permanent housing is being looked for. There are also more reasons why temporary accommodation is important including:

1. Providing better shelter and safety
2. Offering better stability
3. Offering better support services
4. Helping ease the transition to find more permanent housing
5. Helping individuals with their rehabilitation and recovery
6. Providing better protection for vulnerable populations
7. Providing disaster relief
8. Helping reduce health risks

1. Providing better shelter and safety

Temporary accommodation is important as it provides a safe and secure place for individuals and families facing homelessness or emergencies. Here temporary accommodation can protect them from exposure to harsh weather, violence, or other dangers associated with rough sleeping.

2. Offering better stability

Homeless temporary accommodation is essential as it offers a stable living environment to allow people to get back on their feet to find better more permanent housing in the long term.

3. Offering better support services

As discussed above when we compared the different types of temporary housing, many temporary accommodation facilities offer access to essential support services.  Some local authorities and housing associations have also embedded and adopted social prescribing in housing.

Here individuals can be referred and work with a Social Prescribing Link Worker to find the root causes of their housing instability and attend support services that best match their needs including counseling, healthcare, employment services including how to update your CV, as well as assistance in finding more permanent housing.

Temporary housing offering these support services including social prescribing is important as it provides long-term help to make housing more permanent so they will never have to seek temporary accommodation again.

4. Helping ease the transition to find more permanent housing

For individuals experiencing homelessness, it can be an extremely stressful time, temporary housing offers them the bridge to find something more permanent whilst knowing that while they are looking they are safe and secure in the temporary housing they have been offered.

Here temporary housing therefore helps to rebuild lives and transition to self-sufficiency.

5. Helping individuals with their rehabilitation and recovery

For some, temporary housing offers a critical lifeline to help individuals recover from more specific issues such as addiction, mental health issues, or reintegrating back into society after incarceration.

Here temporary accommodation provides them somewhere to be and allows them to access the support they need to get them back on their feet to have a better quality of life.

6. Providing better protection for more vulnerable populations

One of the other main reasons why temporary housing is important is how it can help a full range of different populations. As we are starting to see, the risk of homelessness can happen to anyone so it is vital temporary housing can support the different population groups who may need help including more vulnerable ones.

Temporary housing therefore can offer more specialized housing for these more vulnerable populations to enhance their safety and security even further so survivors of domestic violence, care leavers, or refugees seeking asylum consistently have somewhere safe to sleep and live with all the amenities that they would need.

7. Providing disaster relief

Temporary accommodation is vital during times of emergency and natural disasters as it provides shelter and basic amenities to victims of disaster until they can return home or find permanent housing solutions.

For example, after the Grenfell Tower fire temporary housing helped housed 47 families in temporary accommodation and another 130 in emergency accommodation such as hotels and B &Bs.

8. Helping reduce health risks

One of the final main reasons temporary housing is important is it helps to reduce health risks.

Many rented accommodations currently are inadequate to live in. Many are filled with dampness and mould which are impacting individuals’ health, especially those who already suffer from asthma. It has been found that 40% of people can develop asthma from living in damp or mouldy homes and that children are at the most risk of this. Equally sleeping rough also causes health risks and living in overcrowded accommodation spreads infections quickly.

Experiencing homelessness or living in inadequate housing not only your physical health but your mental health and wellbeing too. Many individuals can suffer from depression and anxiety and feel like a failure as they have lost their homes and have nowhere to live.

Temporary housing helps make this stressful time more manageable by offering a safer and healthier place to live to prevent infections and illnesses caused by dampness, mould, and overcrowding take place, as well as offer mental health support. Temporary accommodation helps to mitigate these risks therefore by providing cleaner and safer environments for people to live in.

Temporary housing is crucial as it offers both immediate relief and support for individuals and families as well as a pathway towards more stable housing for people facing various crises, including homelessness, displacement, and emergencies.

Temporary accommodation ultimately plays a vital role in addressing the housing issues we are currently facing and how that impacts both physical and mental health to help ensure the right support is available so individuals and families can live in more permanent housing happily without fearing they will need temporary housing again.

Temporary Accommodation – What are the challenges?

Like the housing sector in general there are many housing problems which make providing temporary accommodation more challenging. Some of the main challenges include:

1. Availability

Shortages of housing, particularly social housing, and affordable housing, have led to spiraling rents and house prices to soar across the country. This in turn makes the demand and dependency on temporary housing even higher leading to a shortage of suitable temporary housing being available. Councils then end up with long waiting lists and individuals having to wait for extended periods.

The housing shortage also makes it harder to find more permanent housing this often leads to repeated homelessness, people being trapped in temporary accommodation, and others paying over the odds in rent in accommodation which is poor quality.

Checking compliance of housing providers can also be long-winded and take significant amounts of time. Often local authorities are checking providers with manual or paper processes meaning the risk of documents being lost is higher and the lack of available housing can lead to providers not being checked properly. This increases the risk of individuals living in accommodation with incompliant providers and landlords.

2. Quality

Another challenge facing temporary accommodation is ensuring all types are of a high quality.

Many factors determine the quality of housing including home safety, space per individual, and the presence of possible irritants such as mould, asbestos, and lead. A lack of good quality facilities and home equipment such as heating and plumbing can also increase the risk of carbon monoxide exposure leading to carbon monoxide poisoning and more airborne illnesses.

Bad-quality housing not only for tenants but also for local authorities too. The pressure and demand to resolve issues or re-home individuals increases. Individuals can be left on long waiting lists, and councils can suffer reputational damage and hefty fines due to not being able to deliver timely responses.

3. Short-term notice

Temporary accommodation in theory should be a short-term solution. However, due to the issues raised above some people end up living in temporary housing a lot longer than the typical 56 days which relief duty offers.

This in turn hinders their chances and ability to find more permanent housing and leaves others needing temporary accommodation waiting even longer, putting them at more risk of health issues and becoming more vulnerable in society.

4. Displacement

Due to the shortage of temporary housing, many individuals and families may be moved away from their communities, jobs, and support networks. This then makes it more challenging to maintain social connections, and employment, and makes it harder to get back on their feet.

In turn, individuals can therefore become more socially isolated and struggle further with their mental health in an already stressful time.

For children, this can disrupt their education as some may have to move schools which in turn can impact their academic progress.

5. Stigma

One of the biggest challenges when providing temporary accommodation is getting landlords and housing providers on board to home homeless individuals and families due to the stigma surrounding homelessness.

Individuals and families can then face discrimination as providers and landlords can assume that it is their fault they have become homeless and therefore would be in trouble if they stayed in their home. This stigma around supporting individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homelessness can affect their self-esteem and their ability to rebuild their lives.

6. Provider quality

Due to the combination of challenges already discussed, there can be a strong focus on quantity rather than quality so they can meet demand. This can compromise the quality of accommodation people get re-homed to as the main focus would be to increase capacity quickly.

Often checking all providers manually takes a lot of time and relying on paper and manual processes results in higher risks of data and information being lost. As this process is complex and takes time, some local authorities end up working with housing providers who are not fully compliant or meet individual needs.

This also can become even more challenging and stressful if a provider for a local authority fails. This is because local authorities will have very limited warning and will have to quickly seek new replacements to re-home all individuals in their community, whilst dealing with the ever-growing demand.

7. Budget and Funding Constraints

Finally one of the biggest challenges local authorities face are the funding and budget constraints. With the demand increasing and the shortage of temporary housing it can make it difficult to meet the growing demand for the services and the facilities needed.

It’s not just the initial placement of an individual or family which can be costly, the funding constraints also make it difficult to maintain the quality of accommodations. Despite new funding streams and grants being available from time to time, these are often very unpredictable and subject to changes which makes long-term planning harder.

Temporary Housing Solutions – What have councils been doing?

To overcome these challenges of temporary housing, local authorities have been using a variety of different strategies including:

• Introducing new approaches e.g. The housing First Approach which prioritises moving homeless individuals into permanent housing quicker
• Investing in more preventative measures e.g. social prescribing, and support services to help individuals stay living in their homes
• Deploying outreach teams to engage rough sleepers with temporary housing and the support they need
• Working with charities to enhance the range of services available in temporary housing
• Offer more affordable housing
• Improving monitoring and evaluation to identify areas of improvement to reduce and prevent homelessness now and in the future

Local councils have a crucial role in addressing homelessness and improving the quality of temporary accommodation they provide. For councils to be successful in overcoming the challenges of temporary accommodation, councils will need to work collaboratively with several organisations and use a variety of strategies to ensure individuals and families get placed into safer and more compliant homes.

Temporary accommodation solutions – How can Access Adam Housing help?

Another way councils can improve the quality of temporary accommodation is through digitally transforming their processes and investing in a housing management system which can help streamline the process and ensure that everyone is placed in safer and more compliant housing.

At Access Adam Housing, our unique end-to-end housing solution helps councils improve their procurement and management of private and temporary housing. We ensure you only ever work with fully compliant housing providers so the accommodation you place individuals and families in both meets their needs and their legal obligations.

Our housing management system has helped WREN Housing manage all their bookings and requests within one single platform to ensure they have full visibility of all their providers. Through using our automated system streamlining processes including compliance, contracting, invoicing, and payments we help ensure compliance is considered at every step of the process.

Now WREN Housing has had over 20,000 fully complaint bookings made on the system, and to date, we currently monitor over 30,000 compliance documents to ensure ongoing support for over 8,000 households supported by WREN local authorities.

Managing and reducing risks is one of our top priorities at Access Adam Housing so everyone can be safe in the accommodation they need. Our interactive maps provide real-time information on properties so councils can be left 100% confident they are placing individuals and families in the most appropriate accommodation.

Here our management system ensures compliance through digital solutions both at the start of booking a provider as well as ongoing help to reduce risks associated to sourcing accommodation from private providers.

For more information about how our housing management system can help your local authority deliver better quality temporary accommodation faster and safer download our housing guide today.

Summarising the importance of temporary housing

In this article we have addressed what temporary housing is, its types, and why it is important for local authorities and communities, as well as individuals themselves.

Through explaining the benefits of good quality temporary accommodation, this article has also been able to highlight how temporary accommodation means more than just a short-term place to live, and that it should be used as a bridge to find more permanent housing quicker. Many types of temporary housing will offer this extra support to ensure this new approach helps prevent and reduce homelessness regardless of the situation an individual may be in.

This article has explained the different challenges that local authorities can face when providing temporary accommodation and how wider societal issues and the cost-of-living crisis are impacting the outcomes further.

Different temporary housing solutions have been reviewed in this article including what some councils are doing currently such as working with charities to share resources available, deploying outreach teams to help rough sleepers find safer places to live, and implementing more preventative measures such as social prescribing to help prevent families and individuals needing to seek temporary accommodation again.

I have explained how investing in our housing management system can digitally transform the different housing processes needed to find appropriate temporary housing.

At Access Adam Housing we work hard with councils to provide the best temporary housing possible to both meet individual demand and legal requirements.

Discover our housing solution today and see first-hand how we help provide safer, better-quality temporary housing at the rate that you need it.

Contact us and let's work together on building your council’s strategy to both prevent and reduce homelessness so individuals can get back on their feet, improve both their physical and mental health, and ultimately have a better quality of life.