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Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee

Tackling homelessness

Status: Closed Opened: 31 Oct 2024 Closed: 3 Apr 2025 18 recommendations 20 conclusions 1 report

All forms of homelessness are increasing. In 2022-23, there were over 100,000 households in England living in temporary accommodation, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 extended the duties for councils to work more on prevention and relief. Since then, homelessness has worsened due to factors including a continuing shortage …

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Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
4th Report - Tackling homelessness HC 352 24 Jan 2025 38 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
25 Recommendation 4th Report - Tackling homelessness Deferred

England lacks a statutory homelessness strategy despite past committee recommendation and government agreement

Each of the UK devolved administrations has an overarching homelessness strategy or action plan. In late 2023, the Welsh Government also issued a consultation on homelessness, including proposals such as: extending local authorities’ prevention duty to six months; targeting prevention activities towards those most at risk; and improving standards relating …

Government response. The government agrees to produce a homelessness strategy for England, committing to engage with devolved administrations beforehand, but the target implementation date is after the Spending Review 2025.
HM Treasury
26 Recommendation 4th Report - Tackling homelessness Deferred

Submissions highlight key priorities for homelessness strategy, including cross-government and voluntary sector support

Several written submissions to our inquiry suggested principles or priorities for a homelessness strategy. Crisis, for example, emphasised the need for evidence-based interventions that both support people to move on from homelessness for good and prevent it from happening in the first place.35 Dr David Christie suggested that a substantial …

Government response. The government agrees to consolidate rough sleeping and single homelessness grants into a single grant for 2025-26 and explore options for aligning Homelessness Prevention Grant funding with rough sleeping funding from 2026-27, with a consultation to be held.
HM Treasury
33 Recommendation 4th Report - Tackling homelessness Deferred

Address critical skills shortages in construction within the long-term housing strategy by early 2025

MHCLG explained that it is committed to producing a long-term housing strategy early in 2025 that will focus on both supply and quality. It suggested that the strategy would set out a range of actions across the supply chain, on issues such as: skills; planning; working with developers; breaking down …

Government response. The government agrees and will publish a long-term housing strategy, including actions to achieve its vision, after the Spending Review 2025. The response also notes Homes England's past housing delivery achievements.
HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
2 Dec 2024 Catherine Frances · Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, James Wolfe · Department for Work and Pensions, Jenan Hasan · Department for Work & Pensions, Penny Hobman · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Sarah Healey CB CVO · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government View ↗

Correspondence

1 letter
DateDirectionTitle
7 Apr 2025 To cttee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and…