A single mother who is homeless said she could not apply for social housing because she is in debt.

Orla (not her real name) said I that she and her young daughter cannot escape their temporary accommodationwhich she described as a “one-room prison” in “a rundown 1950s area” of Greater Manchester.

The 26-year-old hotel employee, who wished to remain anonymous, is affected by a little-known rule which excludes people in debt from access to social housing.

Orla has been stuck in temporary accommodation for four years.

Last week I revealed that almost 3,800 households, including families, do not have the right to apply for permanent housing through their local council due to the rule.

Councilor Adam Hug, housing spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said local authorities must “develop solutions that make best use of their scarce social housing stock”.

“This may include qualifying criteria to exclude people who have, for example, current or past rent arrears,” Mr Hug said, adding that “more and more councils are having to make difficult decisions” due to of the shortage of social housing.

There is 1.29 million households on waiting lists for social housing in England.

Mr Hug said local councils “have the discretion not to enforce these policies in exceptional circumstances”.

Orla was evicted by a private landlord in June 2021 after falling behind on her rent while pregnant. She is desperate to find a permanent home.

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Before the birth of her daughter in late 2021, Orla lived in a privately rented property which cost £400 a month. She “rebuilt” her rent through zero-hours work, including a job at a burger restaurant.

But work has “dry up” since the pandemic, with the restaurant offering fewer shifts.

With less income, she found herself in rent arrears. She also claimed there had been a delay in the payment of her housing benefit, which supplemented her income.

At the time of her eviction, Orla had rent arrears worth £2,400. Her local council placed her in emergency temporary accommodation when she became homeless.

Despite paying off her debt, Orla said she still cannot bid for social housing until her local council is satisfied she has repaid enough.

Temporary accommodation is emergency accommodation provided to people who have become homeless by their municipality. It may include hostels, B&Bs and converted office buildings.

It may not always be safe for children. I has already reported that there is a correlation between unexpected child deaths and being housed in temporary accommodation.

Katherine Brickell, professor of urban studies at King’s College London, said more than 200 local authorities in England have a policy that prevents potential tenants from bidding for social housing if they are in rent arrears. Others do not prioritize potential tenants on bidding lists if they are in rent arrears.

Professor Brickell, who has carried out research into the number of families affected by the debt rule, previously called it a “Kafkaesque nightmare”.

Under the Freedom of Information Act, it found that of the 3,800 affected households, more than 1,600 were families with children.

Francesca Albanese, executive director of policy and social change at homelessness charity Crisis, said: “It’s a difficult and bitter pill to swallow to think that too many families are stuck in temporary accommodation without issue. »

In the UK, rents are currently increasing by 8.6 percent. This means the cost of private rental is increasing faster than the inflation rate, which is 1.7 percent.

Ms Albanese said that “rising rents and cost of living pressures trap families in a cycle of homelessness.”

“With little or no social housing available, many are forced into debt and find themselves in temporary accommodation. Without any way to repay their debts, families are often unable to move and, in some cases, cannot even bid on social housing.”

Crisis urged local councils to “put in place measures to help households repay their debts in a way they can afford so they can move out of homelessness”.

Orla said she has fallen behind on her council tax and other bills as she prioritizes paying her rent arrears to bid for permanent social housing.

She said she “couldn’t cope” with the opening letters demanding payment, adding: “I don’t know why they are sending me these letters because I don’t have enough money to live on. ”

Professor Brickell said “debt is a key trigger for women entering homelessness” as well as “one of the main reasons why women become stuck in homelessness”.

“Housing allocation policies that lack nuance and compassion,” she added.

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Shared Health, a organization supporting homeless families across Greater Manchester, including Orla’s, said: “It’s staggering how relatively low debts are keeping families and children stuck in temporary accommodation. »

Dr Laura Neilson, practicing GP and CEO of Shared Health, added: “We are spending huge amounts of public money on expensive and inadequate housing. It is illogical that for every £500 of debt, some families remain trapped in a system that costs millions, and also causes pain and hardship. »

The temporary accommodation bill for local authorities in England has exceeded £1.7 billion a year.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government described Professor Brickell’s findings as “incredibly concerning”.

A spokesperson urged “councils to be reasonable when making difficult (housing) allocation decisions”, adding that the government “will take these findings into account and consider them as part of our plans to to ensure that everyone has access to the support they need.”

Before the budget, the government announced a Another £500 million to build “affordable” housing. However, so far no funding has been announced to directly help municipalities pay temporary housing bills.

The Local Government Association is calling on the government to increase support for local councils and increase the “powers and resources” they have to build truly affordable homes.