Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Rejected
Require Government strategy to end family placements in shared temporary accommodation within six weeks.
Recommendation
The Government’s forthcoming strategy on ending homelessness must set out a clear plan to end placements of families in temporary accommodation with shared facilities, starting by reducing and eliminating placements of over six weeks. (Recommendation, Paragraph 47) Out-of-area temporary accommodation
Government Response Summary
The government rejected the recommendation to end placements of families in temporary accommodation with shared facilities, stating it does not agree such placements are never appropriate, but committed to reducing the use of emergency accommodation and eliminating B&Bs for families through the homelessness strategy and existing reduction pilots.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
As set out in response to recommendation 4 above, we do not agree with the Committee that it will never be appropriate for families to be accommodated in temporary accommodation with shared facilities. There can be a role for good-quality accommodation with shared facilities of the types not included in the statutory B&B definition. However, we have been clear we want to see the use of emergency accommodation for homeless families reduce and to eliminate the use of B&Bs for families other than in genuine emergencies. The homelessness strategy will be an essential part of the Government’s plans to achieve this. The Government is working with 20 local authorities with some of the highest use of B&Bs for homeless families, through the £8 million Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots. MHCLG’s team of homelessness experts will work in partnership with these local authorities to identify solutions which will work for their local circumstances. This will support local authorities to move families into more suitable accommodation.