POVERTY campaigners warned today that thousands of children in Wales are put at risk by temporary accommodation.

The latest report by the Bevan Foundation says unsuitable temporary accommodation by local authorities is posing a real risk of physical harm to children.

The foundation says thousands of homeless children across Wales are going to bed in a place which they cannot call home.

The Bevan Foundation’s Wendy Dearden said: “Most worrying is the knowledge that unexpected child deaths have occurred in temporary accommodation in Wales.

“We have estimated that this is one or two deaths per year — the equivalent of one in every 100 infant and child deaths — but we can only estimate this, as there are no clear data collection processes in place in Wales.

“Regulations are in place around the suitability of temporary accommodation, but these are not being enforced.”

Children’s Commissioner for Wales Rocio Cifuentes said that children “are being failed” and more needs to be done to keep them safe until their housing situation has been resolved.

The report also stated that temporary accommodation has an impact on a child’s learning, with children struggling to attend school when their temporary accommodation is located a distance away from the school.

Shelter Cymru’s Katey Jo-Pilling said: “The stress and worry that temporary accommodation causes for families is palpable when we speak to them.

“The report provides recommendations which do not require wider systemic change for homeless families to have as normal a life as possible.”

A Welsh government spokesperson said: “We are actively tackling homelessness in Wales, and we are investing almost £220 million in homelessness prevention and housing support this year alone.”