Source · Select Committees · Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Recommendation 19
19
Accepted in Part
Publish the strategy on ending homelessness by July 2025 and provide quarterly updates.
Recommendation
The Group should publish its final output, a strategy on ending homelessness, by July 2025—before the summer recess—so that the Government, homelessness organisations, and local authorities have sufficient time to start implementing the strategy and making meaningful progress towards ending homelessness during this Parliament. The Inter- Ministerial Group should continue to meet at least quarterly after the strategy is published and should publish quarterly updates on the strategy’s implementation. As part of each quarterly meeting, the Group should review the Government’s quarterly homelessness statistics and consider any changes to the strategy that may be required in light of the data. (Recommendation, Paragraph 75)
Government Response Summary
The government commits to publishing the homelessness strategy later this year, but defers a review of the Inter-Ministerial Group's purpose until after publication, not committing to ongoing quarterly meetings or updates. It also highlights current funding increases and legislative progress on related issues.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
We will publish the homelessness strategy later this year. We continue to make progress in the meantime, including increasing funding for homelessness services in 2025/26 by £233 million. This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping, bringing the total spend to nearly £1 billion. At Spring Statement, the government announced an immediate injection of £2 billion to support delivery of the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and contribute to our ambitious Plan for Change milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament. We have also provided two immediate one-year cash injections to top up the existing Affordable Homes Programme – of £800 million in total with the expectation this will deliver up to an extra 7,800 homes. The Renters’ Rights Bill is progressing through Parliament at pace, which will abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, one of the leading causes of homelessness, preventing private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empowering people to challenge unreasonable rent increases. We will review the purpose of the IMG after publication of the homelessness strategy.