Homeless families 'face being moved out of hotel' during Beyoncé tour after council 'failed to extend bookings'
24 May 2023, 00:34 | Updated: 24 May 2023, 03:41
Homeless families living in a north London hotel "face being moved out" when the Beyoncé tour comes to the capital next week, after the local council "failed to extend its bookings".
Up to 30 families reportedly face being turfed out of Travelodge Enfield, where the council, who makes bookings on behalf of hard-up families, uses around 100 rooms as temporary accommodation.
But bookings by Enfield council for as many as 30 families there are due to expire on May 31 or June 2 and the rooms are said to have been snapped up by Beyoncé fans ahead of her 5-night stint at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Crazy in Love Singer will be performing at the stadium on May 29, 30 and June 1, 3 and 4 to close off the UK leg of her Renaissance tour.
But homeless families will now be forced to move to other parts of the country and won't be able to come back to Enfield until June 4, after the council did not renew their rooms, which can only be booked out for 28 days at a time, The Guardian reported.
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It's expected the move will see parents and children facing disruption to their schooling.
Mother-of-three Collette Collington lives in one of the rooms with her four-year-old daughter who two sons who are autistic.
Speaking to the paper, Ms Collington said the news is "very distressing".
"It’s not good for me, my mental health and for my two youngest children who need stability because of their additional needs," she said, adding: “Every environment we go into, it takes time for them to settle in.
"They have to be in the same routine. It will be very distressing for them.”
Enfield Council said residents who are affected are being informed of any changes and it is working with Travelodge and other hotels to find them alternative “suitable, affordable accommodation”.
“Council officers are visiting families to explain the options available to them, and if direct contact cannot be made, we are writing to them to outline next steps," a spokesperson said.
“Travelodge booking system does not allow for long-term reservations and regular re-bookings need to be made. This situation exemplifies the deteriorating state of housing in London and the collapse of the private rental sector.
“We will continue to assist people to move with practical solutions and our lobbying of the government to urgently address the rental and housing crises will intensify.”
Travelodge said in a statement: “We have been working with Enfield Council for many years to provide short term accommodation. All parties understand that this is a temporary arrangement until the Local Authority can find a more permanent solution.
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“At present we do have ample availability at our Enfield and nearby hotels for the dates in question that the Council are welcome to book. Our rooms are subject to availability but we will always try our utmost to support Enfield council where we can.”
The latest government figures on homelessness in England show 101,300 households live in temporary accommodation in England, the highest number since 2005.
Meanwhile, across the capital, the number of families living in B&B and hotel accommodation for over six weeks rose a worrying 823 percent between February 2022 and February 2023.
