I’ve been a member of the editorial board at Thinkhouse, the free peer-reviewed housing innovation portal, since it was first established almost 10 years ago. As a part of the Thinkhouse role, I’ve regularly authored articles on their behalf in long-established housing sector publications, such as Inside Housing.
I recently published a thinkpiece for Inside Housing, following a research study by the leading UK campaigner on housing & housing justice, Shelter, into one of the knock-on impacts of the ongoing housing crisis - namely, the impact of homelessness and/or insecure housing on children’s education and wellbeing. Whilst the research study I reviewed was UK-focused, the methodology, and the findings, could be equally applied to all other national housing markets.
The contextual facts are stark: the rate of children at English schools without a permanent home is at its highest levels since records began in 2004, affecting 1 in 78 children. More than half of teachers now work with children who are homeless or have experienced homelessness in the past year, rising to almost three-quarters of teachers in schools serving lower-income communities.
The consequences of this situation are equally stark. Almost 90% of teachers report that these children frequently arrived at school late, tired and/or hungry, due to either the nature of their living environment, distance from their school, anxiety, etc, or a combination of all of these. Over half of the children have regularly missed school, and/or had to change schools at least once. All of this means it is much harder for children who are homeless, or in temporary or insecure accommodation, to concentrate, participate in lessons and maintain consistent educational progress.
Educational attainment is not the only aspect of these childrens’ lives affected: living in insecure, often inadequate, accommodation has serious consequences for their mental health and self-esteem too. For example, lack of washing & drying facilities can lead to children having to attend school in either unclean or inadequate clothing - with the resultant stigma leading to loss of friendships, or increased social isolation. It’s unsurprising therefore that three-quarters of teachers reported that the housing status of these children had negative impacts on mental health, confidence and behavioural issues, especially those with special educational needs, disabilities, neurodivergence or additional learning difficulties. Developing interests, social connections, and important social & life skills takes a back seat when, as one teacher quoted in the study observed, "Their focus now isn’t on school, it’s on survival, and what will happen to them this evening, tomorrow, next week, next month."
Living in temporary accommodation can not only impact negatively upon their educational performance, but also on their self-esteem, mental health, friendships and interests. Moreover, it can more fundamentally deprive them of a ‘normal’ childhood - one that provides the the sense of community belonging, stability, security, confidence and basic conditions they need to learn, develop and flourish.
Ensuring access to safe, suitable and stable housing is therefore also a crucial investment in children's education, health and wellbeing, and ultimately, their life prospects.