London Councils' latest survey of boroughs’ homelessness data estimates the number of homeless residents in temporary accommodation arranged by their local authority has risen to almost 170,000, equivalent to around one in fifty of all Londoners. That figure includes 83,500 children – meaning on average at least one child in every London classroom is homeless.

London Councils’ survey provides a more up-to-date overview of the situation across the capital than the government’s homelessness data, for which there is a six-month lag in publication timeframes.

Due to the lack of alternative housing, boroughs are becoming more reliant on the last resort option of placing homeless families in B&B accommodation. The number of families placed in B&Bs doubled between April 2022 and April 2023.

London Councils’ Executive Member for Regeneration, Housing & Planning, Cllr Darren Rodwell, said: “Homelessness pressures across the capital are fast becoming unmanageable. Ministers need to treat this as the emergency it clearly is. Much more action is needed to help low-income households avoid homelessness and to reverse the rising numbers relying on temporary accommodation.”

London Councils is urging the government to take a number of steps to address the capital's worsening homelessness crisis, including: Raising the Local Housing Allowance (LHA); Supporting councils to buy accommodation sold by private landlords; Boosting the Homelessness Prevention Grant funding; Increasing Discretionary Housing Payments; and bringing forward a cross-departmental strategy to reduce homelessness.

The London Office of Innovation and Technology (LOTI) is supporting boroughs to tackle digital exclusion in London through its Digital Inclusion Innovation Programme.

Originally launched as part of the London Recovery Board's goal for “Every Londoner to have access to good connectivity, basic digital skills and the device or support they need to be online by 2025", the programme is delivering a number of projects, including addressing the specific needs of digitally excluded individuals and families living in temporary accommodation.

The focus for the programme now is to design and launch London’s first digital inclusion service Get Online London, supported by LOTI and the GLA and delivered by Good Things Foundation.

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