Thousands without a home in West Midlands - housing charity

Figures from housing and homelessness charity Shelter show 16,200 people are without a home in Birmingham

More than 12,500 children across the West Midlands could be without a home this Christmas due to the housing crisis, new research suggests.

The latest data from housing charity Shelter shows an 18% increase in people without a home compared with 2022.

It said many of them would spend the festive period in a hostel or B&B.

The government said everyone deserved a "safe place to call home" and that it was spending £2bn to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.

Shelter Chief Executive Polly Neate, however, described the current housing situation as "out of control".

"Chronic underinvestment in social homes has left people unable to afford skyrocketing private rents and plunged record numbers into homelessness," she said.

'Damp and dirty'

Of the 24,000 people in the West Midlands living in temporary accommodation, Shelter said 16,200 of them were in Birmingham.

Ms Neate said it was "appalling" the government had allowed "thousands of families" to be "packed into damp and dirty B&B's and hostel rooms", adding it was "traumatising" to children.

"Until the government takes this emergency seriously, our front-line services will do everything they can to help people keep or find a safe home this winter," she said.

The housing and homelessness charity has launched an urgent appeal calling on the public to help it support people this winter.

In response, a spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: "Temporary accommodation is an important way of making sure no family is without a roof over their head.

"But councils must ensure it is temporary and suitable for families, who have a right to appeal if it doesn't meet their household's needs."

This news story was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.