New data links 104 child deaths in England to temporary accommodation

Published on Wednesday, 22 April 2026 Post

New data reveals that 104 children in England have died between April 2019 and 3rd December 2024 with temporary accommodation identified as a contributing factor to their vulnerability, ill health or death.

Of these, 76 children were under the age of one, underlining the particular risks faced by babies in unstable housing situations.

The findings, published by the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Households in Temporary Accommodation, bring together evidence from national datasets to highlight the impact of homelessness on child health.

New national data sheds light on baby deaths

Newly collected national data from MBRRACE-UK provides further insight into the risks faced during pregnancy and early life. It shows that at least 91 babies (64 stillbirths and 27 neonatal deaths) in 2024 were born to mothers living in temporary accommodation, out of 3,303 total baby deaths recorded during that period.

This is the first time national data has identified babies born into temporary accommodation who did not survive, marking an important step in understanding the scale of the issue.

Alongside this, the data highlights the wider context of poverty, deprivation and racial inequalities as key factors contributing to child mortality.

The APPG can also announce that 140 children have died, with their main residence listed as temporary accommodation, between October 2023 and September 2025. Whether temporary accommodation was a contributing factor to these deaths will be assessed through the usual death review process, meaning the 104 figure could increase in the following years.

Why temporary accommodation increases risk

Families living in temporary accommodation often experience disrupted routines, limited access to essential items such as cots, and difficulties accessing healthcare. These challenges, combined with systemic inflexibility, can increase risks to children's health and survival.

Call for urgent action

The APPG has published a new report alongside the data, calling for coordinated action across government. Recommendations include:

• Improving standards of temporary accommodation
• Strengthening maternal healthcare pathways for pregnant people experiencing homelessness
• Ensuring access to safe sleeping options such as cots
• Continued cross-government working on child poverty and homelessness

What the experts say

We need urgent, sustained action to bring down the number of homeless children and to ensure that no family is left in conditions that put lives at risk.

Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP, Chair of the APPG for Households in Temporary Accommodation

One death is too many. 104 deaths is absolutely scandalous… These deaths are not inevitable.

Dr Laura Neilson, CEO of Shared Health Foundation

The loss of 104 children linked to temporary accommodation is unacceptable.

Simon Gale, CEO of Justlife

High-quality data on housing status… is essential if we are to fully understand the risks and the actions we must take to protect them.

Sylvia Stoianova and Tom Williams, National Child Mortality Database (NCMD),

In 2024, 91 babies born to mothers living in temporary accommodation did not survive… almost two families bereaved every week.

Professor Lucy Smith and Dr Ruth Matthews, MBRRACE-UK

Read the full report