Against the Odds: An investigation comparing the lives of children on either side of Britain's housing divide

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[29 November 2006] - One in seven British children - 1.6 million overall - are growing up homeless or in bad housing. This is part of the shocking picture that emerges from new research released this week by Shelter to mark 40 years since its launch.

Against the Odds provides powerful new evidence of a generation of children torn apart by the housing divide. Using new Shelter analysis of the latest figures from the most comprehensive Government survey of families with children in Britain, the report also reveals that:

  • In England, children in bad housing are twice as likely to leave school with no GCSEs (General Certificate of Secondary Education )
  • More than 40,000 young people aged 16-18 years living in bad housing in England have no GCSEs
  • Almost 310,000 children in bad housing in Britain are suffering long-term illness or disability
  • Each year, more than 57,000 children living in bad housing in Britain are excluded from school

Against the Odds also reveals that, compared with other children, youngsters in bad housing are:

  • Twice as likely to be persistently bullied
  • Almost twice as likely to suffer from poor health
  • Twice as likely to have been excluded from school

Shelter is calling on Gordon Brown, UK Chancellor to the Treasury, to fund 20,000 extra social homes each year to give these children the chance of a brighter future. To get his attention, the charity is today unveiling a 30-metre interactive Wall of Shame on London's South Bank and inviting the public to sign a brick to show their support for the protest against bad housing.

Shelter chief executive Adam Sampson said: "It's a scandal that 40 years after the plight of Cathy Come Home's on-screen family shocked the nation, the lives of 1.6 million children are today being devastated by the grim reality of homelessness and bad housing. "It's vital that the Chancellor commits to funding 20,000 extra social homes each year to give these children a fair start in life."

Further information

pdf: http://www.crin.org/docs/shelter_against_odds.pdf

Organisation: 
Shelter
Attachment Link: 
http://www.crin.org/docs/shelter_against_odds.pdf

Countries

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