FAQs

Single adults or families can be placed into temporary accommodation.

Local housing authorities in England have a duty to secure accommodation for unintentionally homeless households in priority need.

Households might be placed in temporary accommodation pending the completion of inquiries into an application, or they might spend time waiting in temporary accommodation after an application is accepted until suitable secure accommodation becomes available.

Stays in temporary accommodation can last for months, or very commonly for years. People may be moved around to different addresses during their homeless journey, and often into new areas far away from their community.

Many people who become homeless do not show up in official figures. This is known as hidden homelessness. This includes people who become homeless but find a temporary solution by staying with family members or friends, living in squats or other insecure accommodation. In recent years the term has also been used to describe the invisibility of homeless families, who once placed into long term temporary housing can become incredibly unseen and unsupported.

Unsupported Temporary Accommodation (UTA) is private accommodation in which households have very few rights to reside in the property. Residents of UTA are typically ‘non-priority-need’ with limited access to local authority support to find settled accommodation. Almost any property-type can be UTA, however it is typically a Bed & Breakfast (B&B), short-stay House of Multiple Occupation (HMO), private hostel or guesthouse.