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Nearly a聽quarter of a million households鈥痺ho were homeless鈥痮r at鈥痳isk of becoming homeless聽have been helped聽to keep their鈥痟ome聽or聽into longer term accommodation, by the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA).聽 The Review of the act has been published today (25聽September 2020)鈥�.

The Homelessness Reduction Act, which was brought into law in April 2018, resulted in鈥�243,680鈥痟ouseholds having their homelessness prevented or relieved.

The Act placed a duty on councils to鈥痶ry to鈥痯revent homelessness and a duty on public bodies to refer people at risk of homelessness, flagging those most vulnerable to homelessness and rough sleeping so they鈥痗ould鈥痳eceive support.

Since the introduction of the Act, 365,000 single households (almost two thirds of the total number of households), including 28,000 people with a history of rough sleeping and over 15,000 people who were rough sleeping at the time of the assessment, have been assessed as owed help to prevent or relieve their homelessness.

This鈥痬eans鈥痶he Act is meeting its goal of helping people who previously wouldn鈥檛 have had access to support.

The review of the Act鈥痟as鈥痑lso provided feedback on where further work is needed, including鈥痮n聽administration, data collection and joint working.聽 Working鈥痺ith dedicated professionals,鈥痶he government is鈥痙etermined to address these issues and meet鈥痶heir鈥痗ommitment to聽fully聽enforce the Act.

The Act is part of the government鈥檚 landmark commitment 鈥� backed by over half a billion pounds to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over 2020 to 2021 鈥� to break the cycle of homelessness and end rough sleeping for good.

Measures also include the Next Steps Accommodation Programme, which funds local authorities and their partners to prevent people from returning to the streets,鈥痑nd the fast-tracking 6,000 additional homes for former rough sleepers across the country.

The government has also put in place an unprecedented package of support for renters, with an eviction ban for six months, and we have聽changed the law to increase notice periods to 6 months so most renters now served notice鈥痗an stay in their homes over winter.

Minister for鈥疪ough Sleeping and Housing鈥疜elly鈥疶olhurst鈥疢P鈥痵aid:

The action that this government is taking to support the most vulnerable people in our society has helped nearly a quarter of a million people who were homeless or at risk of homelessness to find long term accommodation.

The Homelessness鈥疪eduction鈥疉ct is working well,鈥痺ith councils鈥痵upporting鈥痶he鈥痬ost鈥痸ulnerable, meaning many鈥痬ore people who may not previously have been eligible for support now鈥痟ave the help they need.

This government鈥痠s鈥痗ommitted鈥痶o鈥痚nding鈥痳ough sleeping for good by the end of this Parliament,鈥痑nd we鈥檝e backed this up with over half a鈥痓illion鈥痯ounds鈥痮f鈥痜unding this year鈥痑lone.

The government is providing 拢4.8 billion councils鈥痶o help councils to manage the impacts of COVID-19 which includes their work to support homeless people. This also includes 拢3.7 billion which is not ringfenced and over 拢1.1 billion specifically to support social care providers. This is part of a package of over 拢28 billion which the government has committed to support local areas, with funding going to councils, businesses and communities.

Case studies

Southwark Council:

As a result of the Homelessness Reduction Act the early intervention and prevention services have improved. This has included developing more provision for single people and households with no dependants. For鈥痚xample,鈥痙uring鈥痽ear鈥痮ne of the act being enforced, Southwark developed a singles procurement pathway.

Collaborative and increased partnership working with the third sector and鈥痠n-house鈥痙epartments鈥痟as improved;鈥疭helter and Solace Women鈥檚 Aid provide independent housing advice and advocacy from the鈥疭outhwark鈥疕ousing Solutions service office.

惭别诲飞补测鈥疌辞耻苍肠颈濒:

In terms of outcomes, prior to the Act Medway Council was already actively pursuing a prevention and relief approach. However, the extra financial resources made available to ensure the successful implementation of the Act have enabled us to invest primarily in an increase in staff for our Housing Options Service. Extra staffing resource has enabled Medway to focus more effort on prevention/relief work to those who are homeless or at threat of homelessness at the earliest possible stage.鈥疉s a consequence, Medway has significantly increased the numbers of鈥痵uccessful preventions and reliefs.

Additional information

• The government has made clear that no one should be without a roof over their head, which is why we have committed to end rough sleeping within this Parliament.鈥疶he work of the Rough Sleeping Taskforce further demonstrates our commitment to supporting the most vulnerable in society.
• We have provided 拢4.8 billion to help councils to manage the impacts of COVID-19, which includes their work to support homeless people, including 拢3.7 billion which is not ringfenced, and over 拢1.1 billion specifically to support social care providers.
• Also, we have accelerated鈥痯lans 鈥� backed by 拢433 million over the next four years 鈥� which will deliver 6,000 additional homes for former rough sleepers across the country.
• On 18 July, we launched the Next Steps Accommodation Programme (NSAP). This makes available the financial resources needed to support local authorities and their partners to prevent these people from returning to the streets. The NSAP鈥痠s鈥痬ade up of two鈥痵ources鈥痮f funding: 拢161 million鈥痶o鈥痙eliver 3,300 units of鈥痩onger term move-on accommodation鈥痺ithin the next 12 months (part of the 拢433 million total); and聽聽on 17 September we announced the allocation of聽拢92million鈥痮f聽funding to pay for interim聽support鈥痶o ensure that people do not return to the streets.
• We are supporting these efforts as part of our landmark commitment 鈥� backed by over half a billion pounds this year 鈥� to break the cycle of homelessness and end rough sleeping for good.
• This government implemented the Homelessness Reduction Act, the most ambitious reform to homelessness legislation in decades, which placed new duties on local housing authorities to take reasonable steps to try to prevent and relieve a person鈥檚 homelessness. These new duties apply irrespective of whether a person has 鈥榩riority need鈥� or may be regarded as being 鈥榠ntentionally homeless鈥�.
• See more information on the HRA Review
• 243,680 households have had their homelessness prevented or relieved since the Act came into force. The figures can be found in tables P2 and R2 of the homelessness statistics live tables.