"Temporary accommodation is incredibly challenging to get out of"
Emma Hughes from Chelmsford homeless charity, Sanctus, tells us accommodation is often "very problematic"
An Essex homeless charity tells us temporary accommodation is often "very problematic" and "declined by many individuals".
New government figures show a record number of children are in temporary accomodation this Winter.
The number of children across England finding themselves in temporary accommodation as we head towards Christmas has reached 159,380 children, a rise of 15% in a year.
The East of England region sees the third highest number of households in temporary accommodation nationally, following London and the South East.
From April to June this year, 8,930 households in the region have been put up in hotels, bed and breakfast and sometimes a shared house.
Emma Hughes, CEO of Sanctus, tells Greatest Hits Radio it is often "very challenging" to get out of temporary accommodation.
She says: "if someone is accepted by the local housing register, they will be given a banding.
"They will bid on properties but this can take years.
"There is just a hugely distinctive lack of properties in Essex, especially for families."
Mrs Hughes explains that Sanctus often have to help those in temporary accommodation, because often there is a lack of "basic necessities".
She tells us "there's often no bedding, no towels, no basic necessities.
"We will very regularly pay for a taxi, a bus, or a train fare, depending on where the accommodation is."
The accommodation that people are placed in is more often than not out of the area, says Mrs Hughes.
"They don't have food, they don't have resources, and often having a roof over their ahead is not enough.
"For those entrenched in addiction, they will want to stay where they know they can source what they need", says Mrs Hughes.
As many families are braced for a bleak winter in temporary accommodation, Jo Curtis, Head of Community and Social Impact at B&Q is working with homeless charity Shelter in a bid to offer help.
She says the aim is to "help more than two million people benefit from better homes and community spaces by 2030" - as well as the importance of everybody having a safe and settled home.