'Children living in hotels is far from normal'

Sue McDonald works at the Whitechapel Centre and has warned about the stress homelessness can have on children

Staff at a homeless charity have warned of the impact living in temporary accommodation can have on children.

The warning comes after Liverpool city council announced plans to launch a new strategy to reduce its use of hotels and bed and breakfasts for homeless families.

There are over 450 children living in temporary accommodation in the city at the moment, with 1700 households placed in bed and breakfasts and hotels, according to the latest council figures.

Sue McDonald, who works at the Whitechapel centre, said children who had to stay in hotel rooms with their families could be privy to unsettling conversations about money and other worries, which could put "a lot of stress" on them.

"They have to go to school and create a façade that everything is normal, when it's far from normal." she said.

She added: "The children don't express themselves verbally about what's going on, but it's through all the activities we do with them that we can see this is something that does weigh heavy on their minds."

Currently, the council refers homeless families assessed as having the greatest need to a homeless centre, based in Toxteth, Liverpool.

Mum Kerry had been placed in five or six different hotels with her toddler before arriving there.

She said one hotel was in the city centre where she was surrounded by "drunk people" and another was in a rural location, with no access to transport.

Alison Connor says losing a home is "traumatising" for children

She said: "We've been passed from hotel to hotel, room to room. It's hard."

"My son didn't like it, he had no routine, just slung into a room with no facilities, just a kettle." She added he had no space to play or move around.

She said staying at the centre had been "brilliant" and had "changed her perspective" on her family's future.

She said "becoming homeless is something that could happen to anyone" and added, "you never know if you're going to have to leave a domestic violence situation, a fire, flee".

Kerry said private rented accommodation was impossible for her because landlords expected so much money upfront.

Councillor Hetty Wood, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Housing, said: "Homelessness can affect anyone. Families in temporary accommodation, young people leaving care, people fleeing violence, refugees and those facing eviction all need our support.

"This new strategy is about prevention, dignity and long-term solutions. It's also about listening to people with lived experience and making sure services respond to their needs. Everyone deserves somewhere safe to stay."

The homeless centre is based in a huge Victorian mansion and offers self-contained flats for up to 16 families.

Alison Connor, centre manager, said losing a home is one of the "most traumatising" things that can happen to a child.

She said: "Often they've lost all their pets, all their toys, they've moved out of the neighbourhood where all their friends are.

"They may still be going to school but it's a long way, so they may be turning up late." She said things like free transport passes for children could help keep them in their old schools, and that consistency in education was essential for maintaining stability in children's lives.

She added that living in the hotel system can make children feel "removed" from their "old life".

Alison added it was becoming harder to find suitable permanent accommodation for the families to move into, sometimes taking 200 days to find somewhere for a small family.

She added larger families could be living at the centre for two years "because there's nowhere for them to go".

Liverpool city council said the costs of temporary accommodation were projected to rise from £250,000 in 2019 to £28m by the end of this financial year.