44% more homeless families living in B&Bs The National Housing Federation said there were 3,960 families nationwide living in guest houses between January and March this year. This represents a 44 per cent rise on the figure of 2,750 recorded for the same period in 2011. David Orr, chief executive of the body, which represents housing associations, said: "In a B&B whole families can find themselves sharing one room and they are often shut out of their accommodation during the day, causing huge disruption to daily routines of school and work. Every child deserves a decent home to come back to after school, where they feel secure, and where they can sit down to do their homework. In total as many as 50,000 households are now officially classified homeless by local authorities. About half are placed in more stable and secure short-term accommodation by councils but campaigners fear this could be threatened by the new £500 a week cap on benefits. If homeless families cannot pay the rent on these crisis homes, they could be forced back into B&Bs or onto the streets. Mr Orr said: "Without the safety net of temporary accommodation, thousands more families will find themselves in a vicious cycle of homelessness. It is essential that the Government puts in place measures to protect this crucial service and the vulnerable families who depend on it.