Shelter

Shelter Press Release - 20 November 2025

Shelter has today released a powerful new film featuring beloved TV presenter and media personality Alison Hammond, showing the stark reality of what it means to be homeless and living in temporary accommodation at Christmas.

While families across the country look forward to the festive break in the comfort of their own homes, thousands will spend them in crammed into one room, with belongings stacked against damp and mouldy walls — miles away from their family, friends, and communities. One of these families is Alicia, a 39-year-old single mum who is currently homeless in temporary accommodation, with her six-year-old son, Aeon.

In a moving one-to-one conversation, Alison sits down with fellow mum Alicia, who reveals that she and her son Aeon have been homeless for nearly six years — the entirety of his young life. She describes being moved from one temporary place to next, constantly battling mould, damp, and the uncertainty of never knowing when or where they will be sent next. Alison is heartbroken as Alicia shares her Christmas to-do list, which includes buying new mouse traps, chasing up repairs, and tackling mould on the walls, all while trying to make the holiday special for her son.

The film comes at a time when homelessness is at record levels, with 172,420 children currently homeless in temporary accommodation in England — the highest number since records began 21 years ago. Record-high private rents and a chronic shortage of affordable social homes are pushing more families to the brink and robbing them of the basic need of a safe and stable home.

Shelter’s emergency helpline, online advice, and frontline services provide vital support to families facing homelessness. A donation to the charity this winter could help to connect a family with a trained housing adviser who will listen and find practical ways to improve their situation, as well as supporting Shelter to campaign for the changes that will end homelessness for good.

Alicia, 39, is a single mum who is currently homeless and living in temporary accommodation in London with her six-year-old son, Aeon. Aeon has been homeless his entire life. When Alicia first became homeless, she says she “went straight into survival mode.” She said; “You just think, I need to find some kind of stability. I felt really alone and didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. The first temporary accommodation I lived in was awful; there was damp everywhere, you could smell it, and there were bedbugs — I had to throw away all my mattresses. My mental health really suffered, and I felt so isolated, like it was just me and my son against the world. Now, in my current accommodation, there’s mould and mice, and I don’t feel safe. My asthma has gotten worse, my son’s breathing has gotten worse, and there are moments when he stops breathing at night. I feel like I’m getting bounced around, and you start to feel forgotten.”

Talking to Alison about how she feels about another Christmas living in TA, Alicia said:“I want to be excited for Christmas for my son, but deep down I’m not — it’s a catch-22. I love the holidays, but the struggles we’re going through make them hard to enjoy. Still, I try to make it the best I can for him. I’m not asking for much; I just want a stable home where my son feels happy.”

When things became too difficult to manage alone, Alicia reached out to Shelter for support, speaking with a Helpline advisor who helped her understand her legal rights and guided her through her options for securing safer, more suitable temporary accommodation. Alicia said: “When I reached out to Shelter, they really listened. They helped me to understand my rights and gave me the tools to stand up for myself. I felt heard — and when you feel heard, you feel like you can do anything. I want to be that resilient person who overcame homelessness, so my son knows I fought for us. This is happening to so many people right now. Reaching out for support changed everything for me, and I hope my story inspires and empowers others to do the same.”

Alison Hammond, said: “I couldn’t believe what Alicia was telling me — it really got me. She’s a single mum, just like I am, and I felt such a connection with her and the love she has for her son. No one should have to live the way Alicia and Aeon are living.

“Alicia still does everything she can to make Christmas special for Aeon, but behind the scenes it’s like a full-time job — chasing repairs, tackling damp, dealing with mice, sorting legal papers. Both she and Aeon have been struggling with their breathing, and he’s even been in hospital. Can you imagine? This is what she’s facing at Christmas. No family should have to live like that.

“I’m supporting Shelter because they’re there for families like Alicia’s, giving them help and fighting for lasting change to end homelessness for good. Meeting Alicia and hearing her story really moved me — I just want to help and be part of the change we so clearly need.”

Sarah Elliott, Chief Executive Officer at Shelter, said: “Every day we hear from families in temporary accommodation who are terrified of waiting out the winter in appalling conditions, watching their breath hang in the air as damp and mould climbs the walls. Their experience is only worsened by bitter isolation, as many are moved miles away from their extended families, schools, and communities.

“At Shelter, we’re doing everything possible to help parents fight for a better home for their children. No family should face homelessness alone this Christmas. Donate today and you can help connect parents to someone who will provide support now, and in the tough times ahead.”

Shelter Press Release  - 16 Oct 2025

New government statutory homelessness figures, released today, reveal 172,420 children are now homeless in temporary accommodation in England. This is an 8% increase in a year and the highest number since records began 21 years ago.

The new data for April to June 2025 exposes the devastating scale of the housing emergency across the country:

The number of children homeless in temporary accommodation is now larger than the entire population of Oxford.

Overall, there are now 132,410 households homeless in temporary accommodation across the country - up 8% in a year.

A third of households (32%), 42,740, are accommodated in temporary accommodation outside of their home area – up 10% in one year.

London is the worst affected area in the country. 97,140 children in the city are homeless in temporary accommodation and nearly half (46%) of all households (34,280) are accommodated out of area.

Ahead of the Autumn Budget on November 26^th, Shelter is calling on the government to urgently unfreeze local housing allowance to help families out of temporary accommodation and prevent those pushed to the brink by rocketing private rents from becoming homeless. But in the long term, the only way to end homelessness for good is for the government to ramp up delivery of social rent homes through the new Social and Affordable Homes Programme.

Mairi MacRae, Director of Campaigns and Policy at Shelter, said: “It’s utterly shameful that the number of children homeless could now fill a city the size of Oxford. Thousands face a long grim winter stuck in temporary accommodation, including freezing bedsits and cramped B&Bs, because successive governments have passed the buck for a housing emergency of their making.

“Every day we hear from families who are terrified of spending months or even years in appalling conditions, watching their breath hang in the air as damp and mould climbs the walls. These conditions are only worsened by bitter isolation, as many are moved miles away from their extended families, schools, and communities.

“The government must unfreeze local housing allowance in the Autumn Budget so that it covers at least the bottom third of local rents, to prevent more families from being caught in the rising tide of homelessness. And in the long-term, the government must set an ambitious national target for the number of social rent homes it wants to see delivered – we need 90,000 a year for 10 years to end homelessness for good.”

Shelter Press Release 3 Sep 2025

New analysis from Shelter shows that 124,210 families in England faced homelessness in 2024/25 — equivalent to one in every 57 families — including 70,630 single-parent households, or one in every 24 single-parent families.

Drawing on the government’s latest statutory homelessness statistics, the research shows how quickly the housing emergency is spiralling out of control, with more families being pushed into homelessness and trapped in cramped and insecure temporary accommodation in England.

According to Shelter’s new analysis:

There has been a 10% increase in the number of families assessed by their local council as homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness compared to five years ago (2019/20).

The risk varies regionally, with London (24% increase) and the North East (31% increase) seeing particularly sharp rises, and single-parent families disproportionately affected across all areas of England

Lone parent families are four times more likely to face homelessness than families with more than one adult.

These figures coincide with the launch of a powerful new TV advert by Shelter and HSBC UK, highlighting the grim reality faced by families experiencing homelessness in temporary accommodation. Following one family's story, the advert follows the often-hidden struggles of families in temporary accommodation — with families stuck in grotty, unsafe accommodation where vital repairs go undone for months. Set to the iconic lyrics from Our House byMadness, the film contrasts the vital importance of a safe and secure home with the harsh realities faced by thousands of families who are trapped in temporary accommodation.

Angela Carruthers has been homeless for two years and is currently living in temporary accommodation in Birmingham.

Angela and her children have been moved three times since losing their home of 12 years. When the family moved into their current accommodation — late at night after a long shift at work — there was no electricity, and the boiler was broken. They spent five days without heating, hot water or power before repairs were finally carried out.

Angela was recently threatened with eviction again because, despite working full-time, she couldn’t keep up with the housing costs in her temporary accommodation. After contacting Shelter, Angela got the support she needed from a housing adviser — and was able to stay in the property.

Angela said: “We were in our home for over 12 years, and it was perfect. The kids loved it, their school and my work was down the road, everything just worked. Then the landlord sold up and we were evicted. I couldn’t get a viewing anywhere — the private rents were impossible.

“That’s when we ended up in temporary accommodation. It was freezing; no boiler, no heating, no hot water — we were washing with kettle water out of a bowl. It felt inhumane. I’m working full-time but still can’t cover the rent. I’ve had to borrow money just to feed my kids. We should be out living life, but we can’t. When I got an email saying we were being evicted again, I was at breaking point. I didn’t know how I could keep going. When I spoke to Shelter, they were the first people who really listened. They helped me stay in this property — just knowing someone was there, took some of the pressure off.”

Shelter’s emergency helpline manager, Nadeem Khan said: “It’s utterly disgraceful that across the country, more and more families are being pushed to the brink of homelessness. Soaring rents, low incomes, and a chronic shortage of social homes mean that even parents who work tirelessly to put food on the table are struggling to keep a roof over their heads.

“Every day, we hear from people living with the constant fear that they could lose their home the moment an eviction notice drops through their letterbox. Many are skipping meals just to cover rent, cutting back on essentials, and making impossible choices simply to stay afloat.

“Together with HSBC UK, we’re working with families up and down the country to help build financial resilience and stop homelessness before it happens. Our House shines a light on the harsh reality that thousands face — and we’re calling on the public to stand with us in the fight to end homelessness for good.”

HSBC UK’s Head of Societal Purpose & Sustainability, Natalie Gregoire-Skeete, said: “With over 124,000 families in England at risk of homelessness, the ‘Our House’ campaign paints the stark reality faced by far too many families in the UK. By combining housing expertise, community insight, and practical financial support, our partnership with Shelter is helping people and families build financial resilience – support that can make a real difference when the unexpected happens.”