Letter: A permanent home

From Mr Chris Holmes

Sir: Families forced to move frequently with little hope of a permanent home could become the norm rather than the exception ("Council moved family 34 times", 20 December) if government proposals come into force next year.

The Department of the Environment's housing White Paper proposes to house vulnerable homeless families in short-term tenancies in the private sector, but research published this year by Shelter has shown that living in temporary accommodation is severely disrupting the education of thousands of children.

Families recovering from the trauma of homelessness need a stable base from which to rebuild their lives.

Unless the Government rethinks its plans, the future for Britain's homeless children looks bleak.

Yours faithfully,

Chris Holmes

Director

Shelter

London, EC1

20 December