11th Report - Homeless households
- HC No.
- HC 462
- Published
- 20 Dec 2017
- Items
- 0
- Response
- No response document linked
Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee
Homeless households inquiry
Status: Closed
Opened: 3 Nov 2017
Closed: 3 Nov 2017
1 report
Inquiry scope
In March 2017 there were 77,240 households in temporary accommodation, according to a report from the National Audit Office . These households included 120,540 children. In total, homelessness costs taxpayers for than £1 billion per year – of which £845 million was spent on temporary accommodation. Across England, the end of private sector tenancies accounts for 74% of the growth in homeless households since 2010. According to the NAO, the capping of Local Housing Allowance benefits could also have contributed to the rise in homeless households. Tackling homelessness is the responsibility of the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). DCLG has said it will improve data around homelessness but does not yet have a cross-government strategy to prevent and tackle the problem. The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 gave more responsibility for homelessness to local authorities and required them to have a strategy, but DCLG does not monitor these strategies. The Public Accounts Committee will take evidence from local councils and the local government ombudsman about authorities’ progress with combatting homelessness. The Committee will then hear from DCLG about their work in reducing the number homeless households, as well as asking the Department for Work and Pensions about whether benefit reform is contributing to the problem.Reports
Oral evidence sessions
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| Date | Session and witnesses | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 27 Nov 2017 | No witnesses recorded | View ↗ |
Correspondence
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| Published | Direction | Letter |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Apr 2019 | To committee | Letter from Melanie Dawes to Chair in relation to homelessness and rough sleeping: the impact of the Homelessness Reduction Act - dated 23 April 2019 |
| 12 Mar 2019 | To committee | Letter from Chair to Permanent Secretary for Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government regarding Homeless Households - dated 11.03.19 |
| 10 Jan 2019 | To committee | Letter from Simon Ridley to Chair, in response to the Committee's report on Homeless Households - 20.12.18 |