Key Points
- An East London family was placed in temporary accommodation in Middlesbrough, 250 miles away from home, and spent nearly eight years there.
- The family was moved by Newham Council due to housing shortages in London.
- Investigations reveal a postcode lottery in temporary housing allocation where some councils force people far away for years.
- Refusing housing offers far from home can result in councils closing the housing case on grounds of unreasonableness.
- Middlesbrough’s Erdely Villa, a former author’s home, has been repurposed to support young people facing housing crises.
- Other families in London boroughs like Lambeth and Ealing face similar displacement with long-distance temporary accommodation.
- The issue underscores serious failings in social housing allocations and support for vulnerable families.
What happened to the family moved 250 miles to Middlesbrough for temporary housing?
As reported by Dave Comeau, Local Democracy Content Editor at MyLondon, an East London family consisting of four members were placed in temporary accommodation approximately 250 miles away from their home borough in Middlesbrough by Newham Council. The family ended up living in this ‘temporary’ housing situation for nearly eight years, highlighting a growing issue in emergency housing allocations across London boroughs.
This relocation was a response to the chronic shortage of social housing in London, forcing councils to seek available temporary homes outside the capital, sometimes hundreds of miles away. The situation reflects a postcode lottery where the distance families are moved varies drastically between councils. For example, while one family might be placed within 30 miles of their home borough, others are sent to places as far as Middlesbrough or Newcastle for extended periods.
Why are families being moved so far away from their home boroughs?
The housing crisis in London has generated a severe shortage in affordable permanent housing. Local authorities such as Newham Council have struggled to find available and suitable accommodation within city limits for all applicants. Consequently, some councils resort to placing families in temporary housing in distant locations, including Middlesbrough, which is around 250 miles from East London, and even further to places like Newcastle and Herefordshire.
This displacement complicates staying connected with family, friends, employment, and community networks. One affected young single mother, Demi Longworth, from London, shared her distress about being offered council housing 250 miles away in Horden, County Durham, effectively separating her from her support system. She described the proposal as “absurd,” stating she had “never heard of” the area and feared being “torn away from everything and everyone familiar”.
What legal implications arise if families refuse distant housing offers?
According to MyLondon’s investigation and legal frameworks, if individuals refuse temporary accommodation offers that councils deem reasonable—even if these are hundreds of miles away—councils have the legal right to stop assisting the applicants, citing their refusal as unreasonable. This potentially leaves families with no housing support and facing homelessness if they turn down distant housing due to disruption and impracticality.
This policy has sparked calls for reform. MyLondon advocates a ban on councils discharging their housing duty on the basis of refusal to accept housing offers more than a set distance from their home borough to protect vulnerable families from being displaced long-term.
Are there other cases of families displaced far from London?
Yes. Aside from the family in Middlesbrough, a Lambeth family has reportedly been living in temporary accommodation 140 miles away in Herefordshire for over five years, one of many London families facing similar forced relocations due to lack of housing in the capital.
These repeated situations highlight a systemic issue in social housing management and the urgent need for more sustainable, localised housing solutions.
What initiatives exist in Middlesbrough to support displaced and homeless young people?
Middlesbrough is making efforts to support vulnerable young people facing housing crises. As covered by Home Group and reported by its Director of Operations for Teesside and Yorkshire, Katherine Hernandez, Erdely Villa on Marton Road—a historic former family home of novelist Ernest Hornung—is being transformed into 12 self-contained flats aimed at young people aged 16-24 who are homeless or struggling with other life challenges.
Middlesbrough Council Mayor Chris Cooke highlighted the building’s rich history and its important new role in supporting independent living skills for young people. This project exemplifies local efforts to create supportive housing environments for youth who may have faced instability, including those moved into the area from other regions.
What are the wider social implications of these long-distance temporary accommodation placements?
The phenomenon of relocating families hundreds of miles away for temporary housing disrupts social ties, education, employment, and community cohesion. Families face isolation and uncertainty, which can exacerbate already challenging circumstances. Calls for reform focus on creating fairer, more localised housing allocation systems to prevent so-called postcode lotteries.
Labour MP Grahame Morris remarked on the distress caused when councils force mothers and children to choose between homelessness or relocating over 200 miles away, highlighting the failure of the current social housing framework to meet families’ needs adequately.
How frequently do families visit home when displaced so far away?
Online shared experiences from the public suggest visits home can be infrequent and expensive when families are forced to live far away. Some individuals report visiting only a few times a year due to the cost, time, and logistics of travelling hundreds of miles. This reduction in family contact adds to the social and emotional costs of distant temporary housing.
