Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 14
14
Accepted
MHCLG requires B&B elimination plans from local authorities exceeding statutory limits.
Conclusion
We challenged MHCLG about what it is doing to help local authorities reduce their reliance on B&Bs. It explained that it had added a condition to the Homelessness Prevention Grant, so that it now requires any local authority with more than five families in B&B accommodation over the statutory six-week limit to work with MHCLG to agree a B&B elimination plan. Each plan, which is overseen by MHCLG’s Homelessness Advice and Support Team (HAST), is intended to address the particular challenges that are leading to the use of B&Bs in that area. Plans focus on matters such as preventing families from going into B&Bs, improving the management of the temporary accommodation B&B stock, and finding alternative procurement of temporary accommodation.19
Government Response Summary
The government launched Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots in January 2025 with £5 million, followed by an additional £3 million in February 2025, to work with 20 local authorities to reduce B&B use for homeless families. HAST advisers will also continue to support local authorities.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
2.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 2.2 In January 2025, MHCLG launched the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, which was backed by £5 million to work with 20 local authorities with the highest use of bed & breakfast (B&B) accommodation for homeless families, to test innovative approaches and kickstart new initiatives to reduce the use of B&Bs. Areas were selected using the latest quarterly homelessness data from June 2024. 2.3 In February 2025, MHCLG announced a further £3 million funding for 2024-25 to the pilot areas, to undertake occupancy audits of temporary accommodation, to help establish a baseline for the pilots and to identify any voids, fraud or irregular arrangements, which could free up better quality temporary accommodation units for use by households currently living in B&Bs and other forms of emergency accommodation. This takes the total funding for the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots to £8 million. 2.4 Alongside the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, the department’s Homelessness Advice and Support Team (HAST) advisers continue to work with all local authorities, particularly focusing on local authorities that have high homelessness demand and high rates of temporary accommodation.