The Stigma of Homelessness and the Tragedy of Child Deaths in Temporary Accommodation

Homelessness is not just about lacking a permanent address—it’s a crisis that affects real people, real families, and, in the most tragic cases, leads to avoidable deaths. The UK has seen a rise in child deaths in temporary accommodation, yet rather than questioning why this is happening, the blame is almost always placed on the mother.

Whenever this issue is discussed, social media is flooded with the same tired responses. "If you can’t afford kids, don’t have them." "Why didn’t they use contraception?" "Women like this shouldn’t be allowed to have children." The focus is rarely on the councils that fail to house people safely, the landlords profiting off dangerous accommodation, or the systemic failures that put mothers in these impossible situations. Instead, the default reaction is to shame women for struggling in a society that does not support them.

The reality is that many of the mothers in these situations have escaped domestic violence, are working full-time but cannot afford rent, or are suffering from extreme stress, trauma, and poverty that no parent should have to endure alone. The expectation that a single mother should somehow manage to provide safe, stable housing, while dealing with the immense pressures of homelessness, is completely detached from reality.

The Reality of Child Deaths in Temporary Accommodation

Children are dying in unsafe, overcrowded, and unfit-for-living temporary accommodation. These tragedies should be national scandals, yet time and time again, nothing changes. The suffering of these children is not a random occurrence—it is the direct result of policy failures, rising rents, housing shortages, and a lack of meaningful social support.

Temporary accommodation is not a stable home. Families placed in these units often face damp, unsafe conditions, a lack of heating, and no access to proper cooking facilities. Some are moved from place to place with no warning, forcing children to change schools, lose friendships, and live in a state of constant uncertainty. The stress that this creates for mothers is unimaginable. Yet, when the worst happens, it is often the mother who is blamed, rather than the system that failed to protect her and her child.

One woman, responding to social media comments about homelessness recently, described her own experience of nearly ending up in temporary accommodation with her children. She had to rent a property that was far beyond what she could afford on paper and had to find a guarantor just to be considered, all because landlords refused to rent to a single mother. She was rejected by multiple landlords, not because of her ability to pay, but simply because she had children. “The rental market is appalling for those in need and councils are near useless,” she wrote. “Know-it-alls have no right to pass judgment unless they have experienced the trauma of even the thought of being sent to one of these places, let alone being forced to stay in one.”

Breaking the Cycle of Blame

This is what people don’t understand. Homelessness is not a personal failing. It is a direct result of economic instability, housing shortages, domestic violence, disability, and government inaction. Yet, society would rather push the blame onto the people suffering than admit that the system is broken.

Instead of asking why a mother is in this position, we should be asking: Why are thousands of children growing up in unsafe accommodation in one of the world’s richest countries? Why are landlords allowed to discriminate against tenants with children? Why does the government continue to underfund social housing while allowing private rents to soar beyond affordability?

The truth is, stigma prevents real change. When people believe homelessness is a personal failing, they are less likely to support policies that actually solve the issue—like better tenant protections, investment in affordable housing, and emergency support for struggling families. Instead, we see people arguing that women should be sterilised if they can’t afford children, rather than first acknowledging circumstances often change significantly, and also questioning why so many working families are finding themselves homeless in the first place.

What Needs to Change?

The way we talk about homelessness has to change. We need to stop blaming mothers for systemic failures. We need to stop treating temporary accommodation as an acceptable long-term solution when it is dangerous and failing families every day. We need to demand accountability from the councils, landlords, and policymakers who allow this crisis to continue.

At The Bus Shelter Ipswich, we are working to break the stigma and support people without judgment. Our outreach bus provides essential supplies to those in need, and our food bank and accommodation initiatives are giving people a real chance to rebuild their lives. We do this not because people “deserve” it, but because it is a human right to have safe, stable housing.

If you believe in real change, the best thing you can do is support grassroots organisations like ours. Donate, volunteer, speak up when you hear harmful stereotypes being repeated. These misconceptions fuel inaction—and we can’t afford to keep ignoring the reality of homelessness.