Recommendation 14

The National Audit Office report found that the Programme could bring greater value to other parts of government, for example, in reducing the numbers of people in temporary accommodation. Local authority spend on homelessness has increased 50% in real-terms from 2015–16 to 2020–21.38 London Councils highlighted particular high levels of homelessness and use of temporary accommodation in London.39 We asked the Department whether it has done a cost-benefit analysis of reducing the numbers of people in temporary accommodation. The Department told us it estimates that the 2021 programme will take 8,500 households out of temporary accommodation, but could not quantify the associated financial savings.40