Homelessness minister Alison McGovern has said the number of children experiencing homelessness in England has been a “shock” as she set out Labour’s plans to bring down record-high levels of youngsters without a stable home.

Birkenhead MP McGovern was named homelessness minister on 15 September, replacing Rushanara Ali who resigned in August over a rent hike scandal.

Since then, government statistics have found 172,420 dependent children living in temporary accommodation in England as of June 2025 – the latest record high as numbers have surged over the last two years.

Many of those children are growing up in households living in bread and breakfast hotels, often considered the worst kind of emergency accommodation for families due to a lack of essentials, such as cooking and laun

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