A new generation of children risks becoming socially excluded and even homeless unless urgent action is taken to tackle poor and abusive parenting head on, a report warns today.

Church agencies in Britain will be combining efforts during Poverty and Homelessness Action Week, from 26 January to 3 February, to highlight both the human face of inequality and the need to make it a public policy priority.

Christian homelessness charity Housing Justice has joined with Scottish Churches Housing Action, Church Action on Poverty and the Church Urban Fund to launch an investigation into the experience of poverty, homelessness and bad housing across Britain.