Nowhere to call home: Living in temporary accommodation

The Bevan Foundation and Shelter Cymru call on Welsh Government to tackle the shortage of homes

Welsh Government aspires for homelessness to be rare, brief and unrepeated, but we found that this aim is a long way from current reality.  Latest figures show that 6,447 households had been placed in temporary accommodation by their local authority (March 2024), the equivalent of 1 in every 215 households in Wales. They may have a roof over their heads but behind each number is an individual’s or family’s experience, often far from the luxury which some people might associate with a stay in a hotel room.  

Whilst temporary accommodation is an important lifeline at a time of crisis, it is not a substitute for a permanent home. The Bevan Foundation and Shelter Cymru have been working together to increase understanding of what life in temporary accommodation is really like and why its record use is unacceptable. 

This report explores the use of temporary accommodation across Wales, covering:

• the scale of its use, the accommodation used and the pressure on local authority services;
• the people who live in it and the practicalities of not having a long-term home;
• the difficulties of moving on into permanent housing.

This report is intended to raise awareness of the current situation and is part of a wider research project which will provide recommendations at a later date.

Pages: 32

Format: PDF

Language: English

Cost: Free

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