A third of homelessness charity’s clients have children

Nearly one third of the clients seen by the homelessness charity
Shelter last year were families with children, writes
Anabel Unity Sale.

|Last year a total of 79,369 people approached Shelter for help,
22,908 of which had children and 12,043 of these were homeless or
threatened with homelessness.

Families with children in the East Midlands contacted the
charity most, with 37 per cent of Shelter’s clients living
there. London had the highest level, 65 per cent, of families with
homelessness problems assisted by Shelter.

Adam Sampson, director of Shelter, said: “Shelter sees
thousands of families with children every year who are experiencing
the terrible hardship of bad housing and homelessness. These
families are living at the sharp end of the housing
crisis.”

He called on the government to fulfil its pledge to end the use
of temporary bed and breakfast accommodation to house homeless
families by March 2004.

Shelter is the official charity of the London marathon and is
aiming to raise £1 million to spend on this client
group.