£64,000 Boost To Support Crawley Children In Temporary Housing

Crawley Borough Council has been awarded £64,000 to support children living in temporary accommodation this winter.

The funding comes from an £84 million government pot aimed at preventing homelessness and helping families facing hardship.

The announcement was made at a full council meeting by cabinet member for housing, Ian Irvine.

The money will be used to provide essentials such as school travel, extra food where needed, laundry, and equipment to support children’s education.

Cllr Irvine said many of the affected children had already experienced disruption during the pandemic and stressed the importance of ensuring every child has a fair chance at education.

Crawley declared a housing emergency earlier this year due to rising demand and the cost of providing temporary accommodation.

More than 1,200 people – around 500 households – are currently living in temporary housing, with over £25 million spent by the council in the last five years.

Cllr Irvine said the funding highlights the scale of the issue:

“We are among 61 areas with the highest number of children in temporary accommodation.

"This underlines why declaring a housing emergency was the right decision.”