Entry: "Oona King welcomes Government cash to ease Tower Hamlets accommodation hardship"

Bethnal Green & Bow MP, Oona King, today welcomed news that the Government has awarded the London Borough of Tower Hamlets £1.5 million to end the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families with children.

Oona said: "Its totally unacceptable that families with children have to spend weeks and months in B & B waiting for an offer of permanent accommodation. All the evidence shows that these places are totally unsuitable for families and young children. The stress on parents living in cramped Bed and Breakfast accommodation is enormous. A lack of access to basic kitchen facilities means health suffers and the effects on a young child's educational achievement is devastating.

"I've raised this issue in a number of parliamentary debates, and so I'm delighted that the Government has now given Tower Hamlets the money needed to develop alternative sources of temporary accommodation."

She added: "The big challenge now is to ensure that the forthcoming Spending Review increases funding for new affordable housing. Sustained investment over the long-term is the only way to ensure that people here in Tower Hamlets have the chance of a decent home, and so that's what we'll be looking for the Chancellor to do next month."