Select committee: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 1
1st Report - Protecting rough sleepers and renters: Interim Report
Published 22 May 2020
Paragraph 9
Addressed to Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee Impact of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) on homelessness and the private rented sector All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
This is a golden opportunity to end rough sleeping in England once and for all. The Government’s taskforce must estimate the cost of a housing-led solution with appropriate wrap-around support, using the expertise of charitable organisations and local councils. We received evidence that this is likely to be £100 million a year at a minimum. The Government must provide this as a dedicated funding stream to councils to ensure these people are accommodated safely and securely. As part of this, the Government should publish the results of the Housing First pilots and accelerate delivery of Housing First across the country, to help increase the availability of wrap- around support services alongside good-quality accommodation.
From: Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee, 1st Report - Protecting rough sleepers and renters: Interim Report (HC 309), paragraph 9, 22 May 2020
Government response
Government Response to the Committee's report on Protecting Rough Sleepers and Renters
The government responded to the whole report on 30 June 2020 (deadline 22 July 2020).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government agrees that the momentum on supporting rough sleepers "must not be lost" and sets out measures taken, while committing to tenancy reform "in due course" rather than on the Committee's timetable.
- On a housing-led solution, it "agrees that for many rough sleepers a housing-led solution with provision for wrap-around support is required", citing £160 million in 2020/21 to support up to 6,000 rough sleepers into longer term accommodation, with 3,300 units available in the next 12 months.
- On Housing First, it will consider the findings of its evaluation together with the pilot outcomes, which "will therefore help to inform the next steps for the programme".
- On evictions, it points to existing measures and says it is "exploring a number of options, including a pre-action protocol" for possession claims by private landlords. The response does not commit to the legislation the Committee proposed.
- On abolishing section 21, it "remains committed to tenancy reform" but will proceed "at the appropriate time", and expects to respond fully to the consultation "once the urgent concerns of this emergency have passed".
Government Response to the Committee's interim report on protecting rough sleepers
Published 30 June 2020.