We welcome the measures announced yesterday in the government’s Child Poverty Strategy to reduce the impact of homelessness on families with children.

We’re particularly encouraged by the government’s pledge to end the unlawful use of Bed and Breakfasts for families beyond six weeks, the introduction of a notification system for local housing authorities to inform GPs, health visitors and schools when a child moves into temporary accommodation, and a new clinical code so these children can be monitored through the NHS. Taken together, these policies can improve the lives of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent children from ‘slipping through the cracks’ in education, health, and safeguarding.

Since raising the issue of temporary accommodation with Angela Rayner at our national assembly last year, our members have been campaigning nonstop for better standards and more joined-up support for families in temporary accommodation – contributing to a select committee report, organising a parliamentary action, and publishing our own report on the state of temporary accommodation in London, Birmingham and Manchester. These announcements are proof that when organised communities work together, change follows.

We're also pleased to see recognition of families with ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) status. Over the past year, working with the NRPF Partnership, we've always said child poverty needs to end for all children. There's much more to do, but seeing NRPF children included in the child poverty strategy is welcome.

We now look forward to hearing more in the forthcoming Homelessness Strategy and our members are ready, as ever, to work closely with MPs and Ministers to ensure that the measures announced today are implemented urgently.