Having a secure, safe and affordable home is an essential element in the experience of a ‘good enough’ childhood. This is not available to a large and growing number of children and parents in the UK because of a structural housing crisis affecting the availability, quality, affordability and regulation of accommodation. There is a clear body of evidence which demonstrates the negative effects of poor housing and homelessness on children’s health and development. A much smaller body of work implicates housing policies and conditions in child abuse and neglect, but there is a profound lack of good quality data or research about the role which housing and homelessness play in shaping demand for social care in the UK. This article reviews the available evidence, identifying limitations and gaps. Its aim is to open up policy and practice conversations about the increasing significance of housing and homelessness as a critical issue for children’s social care in the UK whilst making the case for an urgent research agenda.

中文翻译：

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住房、无家可归和儿童的社会关怀：迈向紧迫的研究议程

拥有一个安全、安全和负担得起的家是“足够好”童年经历的基本要素。由于结构性住房危机影响了住宿的可用性、质量、负担能力和监管，英国越来越多的儿童和父母无法享受这种服务。有明确的证据表明住房条件差和无家可归对儿童的健康和发展产生了负面影响。少得多的工作涉及虐待和忽视儿童的住房政策和条件，但关于住房和无家可归者在塑造英国社会关怀需求方面所起的作用，严重缺乏高质量的数据或研究。本文回顾了现有的证据，确定了局限性和差距。