Tell George Osborne: Remember the 100,000 homeless children in Britain this Christmas

  • by: Shelter
  • recipient: George Osborne
Pregnant with her son, Francesca (pictured above) and 11-year-old-daughter Cleo were forced to leave their family home last Christmas. Her baby's first home was a hostel.

With the whole family in one room, and the baby often up until 11pm, Francesca found it difficult to focus at work and Cleo's grades began to suffer. There was no privacy, it was often dirty and they had to share a bathroom with several other families.

This was no place to raise children.

At her wit's end, Francesca called Shelter. A Shelter adviser fought for the family to get out of the hostel and, eventually, into their own home. But many families aren’t as lucky.

This Christmas 100,000 children will be homeless. This is 16,000 more than just three years ago.

It's time the government fix this crisis by building more affordable housing and not freezing the support that helps families keep their homes when times get tough.

On December 18th, Francesca and Shelter will be handing over this petition to Downing Street to call on George Osborne MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to remember the 100,000 homeless children in Britain this Christmas, build more homes, and to do everything he can to ensure that no child is homeless next Christmas.

Dear Mr. Osborne,


As any parent knows Christmas is a time of family and togetherness. But this year 100,000 children will open their stocking without a home to call their own.


Shelter advisers help thousands of parents every year to cope with the devastating impact of homelessness on their children. Without a stable home they are denied the healthy, happy start in life that all children should have.


You can change this, which is why I urge you to use the spending review to:



  • Make sure that all families have somewhere decent and secure to live: invest in building more homes ordinary people can afford to rent or buy.

  • Help prevent children from becoming homeless: don't freeze the support that helps ordinary families keep their homes even when times get tough. Losing your job or getting sick shouldn't mean losing your home.


This Christmas, 100,000 children will be homeless, this is 25,000 more children than just three years ago. We need a solution. It's time to fix the housing crisis.


[Your comments here]


Will you please do all you can to make sure that no child is homeless next Christmas.


Thank you,
[Your name here]

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