Temporary accommodation was listed as a contributing factor to the death of 104 children between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2025, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Households in Temporary Accommodation (APPG) has announced.

The data, collected by the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD), shows that of the 104 children, 76 were under the age of 1.

The APPG has also announced that new data collected for the first time by MBRRACE-UK reveals that out of all 3,303 deaths of babies born between 1 January and 3 December 2024, at least 91 – 64 stillbirths and 27 neonatal deaths – were to mothers living in temporary accommodation.

Additionally, the group has said that poverty, deprivation and race inequalities are some of the other main factors leading to child mortality where temporary accommodation is also a contributing factor to death.

The APPG has also revealed that 140 children with their main residence listed as temporary accommodation died 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, the APPG says.

According to the APPG, when families are out of routine, live in unstable housing, struggle to access or purchase a cot, and healthcare pathways are disrupted, children are at a greater risk of mortality – which is compounded by the rigidity of the system that is inflexible to the complexities that many homeless households face.

The APPG has published a new report outlining these findings, which makes a series of recommendations for the Department for Health and Social Care, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Ministry of Justice, and Local/Combined Authorities.

The recommendations include improving standards of temporary accommodation and improvements to maternal pathways for pregnant parents experiencing homelessness, promoting continued cross-government working post-release of the child poverty and homelessness strategies. The report emphasises the ongoing importance of ensuring families have access to cots and other safer sleeping options, as this is not routine practice in local authorities, despite it being included in statutory guidance.

Alison McGovern MP, Minister of State for Homelessness and Local Government: “It breaks my heart that B&Bs are tragically contributing to the deaths of children

“We must and we are improving the whole system, so every child can get the best start in life.

“In the Child Poverty Strategy, we set out our commitment to do everything we can to eradicate unsuitable or poor-quality accommodation and ensure children in temporary accommodation do not experience gaps in health care provision.

“Alongside this, the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill will provide the strongest protections in a generation, making sure vulnerable children are identified, supported and never again allowed to fall through the cracks.”

MP Dame Siobhain McDonagh, Chair of the APPG for Households in Temporary Accommodation, said: “I am appalled to see yet another rise in the number of children whose deaths have been linked to temporary accommodation, bringing the total to 104 between 2019 and 2025. Equally shocking is the finding that 3% of stillbirths and neonatal deaths in 2024 involved mothers who experienced homelessness during pregnancy. We should all be outraged by these figures.

“I welcome the Government’s commitment, through the National Plan to End Homelessness, to address the impact of temporary accommodation on children, particularly its aim to reduce child mortality. This is a vital step towards preventing the most devastating consequences faced by families at the sharp end of the housing crisis.

“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. Because until that happens, we cannot honestly say we are doing enough.”

Dr Laura Neilson, CEO of Shared Health Foundation: “Each year this data is released, we continue to see an increase in these figures. One death is too many. 104 deaths is absolutely scandalous. Every number represents a child who has died, a future lost, and a family left to carry that grief for the rest of their lives. These deaths are not inevitable. They are the direct result of political choices, of systems that are not fit for purpose, and of a housing crisis that is pushing families into conditions that endangers their lives.

“It is also devastating that there were 91 stillbirths and neonatal deaths in 2024, where the pregnant woman had recently experienced homelessness or was currently homeless. That should stop us in our tracks. Pregnancy should be a time of care, stability, and support. It should not be filled with uncertainty, insecurity, and the stress of not knowing where you will sleep. This must be a turning point. Because if we continue to see these figures rise year after year, it will be because we have chosen to tolerate them. That is indefensible.

“We welcome the recent actions announced in both the Child Poverty and Homelessness strategies by the Government to reduce the effects of homelessness on children and are keen to see these policies implemented without delay.”

Simon Gale, CEO of Justlife: “The loss of any child to preventable causes is a tragedy. The loss of 104 children linked to temporary accommodation is unacceptable.

“It is a stark reminder of the housing crisis that more families each year are forced into situations that put their children’s health at risk.

“We welcome recent government steps, including the ‘Duty to Notify’ between homelessness, health and education settings and the commitment to apply the Decent Homes Standard to all temporary accommodation by 2035. But this report underscores the urgency for faster action.

“It doesn’t have to be this way. Alongside the essential recommendations set out in this report, Justlife is calling for the phased implementation—starting immediately and driven by central government—of the Decent Homes Standard across all temporary accommodation, alongside the provision of the 5 Basics: WiFi, laundry, kitchen facilities, storage, and clear information.

“This is how we prevent further tragedies and ensure that no child’s life is put at risk by living in temporary accommodation.”