Andrew Gwynne, the Labour candidate for Denton and Reddish, has reacted with dismay at new research from charity Shelter which shows that 135,000 children will be homeless this Christmas.
The research shows that in the North West of England, an estimated 18 children are becoming homeless per day. Nationally, one in 107 children in Great Britain are homeless and being housed in temporary accommodation.
The Conservative manifesto contained no additional funding for social housing and no new measures to combat rising homelessness or rough sleeping.
The Labour manifesto set out a plan to end rough sleeping within five years, with 150,000 council and social homes a year, new funding for homelessness services and housing benefit, and a charter of renters’ rights.
Andrew Gwynne said:
“These figures are absolutely shocking and a sad indictment of nine years of failed Tory and Lib Dem austerity.
“No child should be homeless or living in poor quality temporary accommodation, but this research shows that this is the tragic reality for all too many children and young people.
“It seems particularly tragic at Christmas and I hope that the British people will elect a Labour government on 12 December as it is only Labour that has a credible plan to reverse the crises in housing and homelessness.”