Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information her Department holds on the number of cases in which location data for out-of-area placements made while discharging a homelessness duty is (a) not recorded or (b) unknown, in each of the last five years.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected, especially children. Too many families are spending years in temporary accommodation, at a point in a child’s life when they need space to play and develop, nutritious food to thrive and access to education.
We must address this and deliver long term solutions. The Government is looking at these issues carefully and will develop a new cross government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness once and for all. This includes a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, bringing together ministers from across government.
More widely, we are taking action to tackle the root causes of homelessness by delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament. The government is also abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, preventing private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empowering people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.
We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services is increasing next year by £233 million compared to this year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total spend to nearly £1 billion in 25/26. Allocations for individual local authorities in England will be set out later in December.
The department regularly collects homelessness data, including on out of area placements, which can be found here in table TA 1 and are published quarterly: Statutory homelessness in England: April to June 2024 - GOV.UK. Records on the location of accommodation where accommodation is secured to end the prevention or relief duties, including where that accommodation is out of area, are published annually and can be found in tables P4 and R4 here: Detailed_LA_20232024.xlsx.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 November 2024 to Question 13192 on Homelessness, if she will publish her letter of 11 November 2024 addressed to all local authority Chief Executives in England about out-of-area accommodation placements.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
As set out in my answer to Question UIN 13192, on 11 November 2024 the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all local authority Chief Executives in England about out-of-area accommodation placements, including temporary accommodation and housing offers to end a homelessness duty.
The letter referred to section 208 of the Housing Act 1996, reminding local authorities that they are required by law to notify the receiving local authority of any out-of-area placement and that this should be happening in every case. It also highlighted the importance of considering safeguarding arrangements when placing households out of area, including relevant consultation with Children’s Services. The letter requested that Chief Executives personally assure themselves that these notifications are happening.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions her Department has had with local authorities on their legal duties under section 208 of the Housing Act 1996.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 11 November 2024 the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to all local authority Chief Executives in England about out-of-area accommodation placements, including temporary accommodation and housing offers to end a homelessness duty. This letter referred to section 208 of the Housing Act 1996, and reminded local authorities that they are required by law to notify the receiving local authority of any out-of-area placement.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2024 to Question 9158 on Homelessness, what redress is available to a receiving Local Authority when a local authority breaches section 208 of the Housing Act 1996 by failing to notify them of an out-of-area placement.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Homelessness legislation and the Code of Guidance is clear that local authorities should place individuals within their own area, and when this is not possible, they should place the household as near as possible. The Government is clear that local authorities should, as far as possible, avoid placing households out of their borough. However, this is not always possible when there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation.
Under section 208 of the Housing Act 1996, if a local authority places a household into accommodation in another local area, they are required by law to notify the local authority of any placement, to ensure there is no disruption to education or employment. This notification should be happening in every out of area placement.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7728 on Homelessness, what sanctions are available to prevent local authorities from placing families significant distances out of area when discharging a homelessness duty.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Homelessness levels are far too high and can have a devastating impact on households affected, as well as putting local authorities and their services under financial strain. Homelessness legislation and the Code of Guidance sets out that local authorities should try to place individuals within their own area, and when this is not possible, they should place the household as near as possible to the original local authority. The Government is clear that local authorities should, as far as possible, avoid placing households out of their borough. However, this is not always possible when there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation.
Under section 208 of the Housing Act 1996, if a local authority places a household into accommodation in another local area, they are required by law to notify the local authority of any placement, to ensure there is no disruption to education or employment. This notification should be happening in every out of area placement.
The department collects data on statutory homelessness applications, duties and outcomes for local authorities in England, including data on out of borough placements. The department publishes data on out of area placements in the quarterly statistics here.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7731 on Homelessness, if she will require local authorities placing families out of area to make a financial contribution to the receiving local authority.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Homelessness levels are far too high and can have a devastating impact on households affected, as well as putting local authorities and their services under financial strain. Homelessness legislation and the Code of Guidance sets out that local authorities should try to place individuals within their own area, and when this is not possible, they should place the household as near as possible to the original local authority. The Government is clear that local authorities should, as far as possible, avoid placing households out of their borough. However, this is not always possible when there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation.
Under section 208 of the Housing Act 1996, if a local authority places a household into accommodation in another local area, they are required by law to notify the local authority of any placement, to ensure there is no disruption to education or employment. This notification should be happening in every out of area placement.
The department collects data on statutory homelessness applications, duties and outcomes for local authorities in England, including data on out of borough placements. The department publishes data on out of area placements in the quarterly statistics here.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7730 on Homelessness, what sanctions are available when a local authority fails to notify a receiving local authority of an out-of-area placement.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Homelessness levels are far too high and can have a devastating impact on households affected, as well as putting local authorities and their services under financial strain. Homelessness legislation and the Code of Guidance sets out that local authorities should try to place individuals within their own area, and when this is not possible, they should place the household as near as possible to the original local authority. The Government is clear that local authorities should, as far as possible, avoid placing households out of their borough. However, this is not always possible when there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation.
Under section 208 of the Housing Act 1996, if a local authority places a household into accommodation in another local area, they are required by law to notify the local authority of any placement, to ensure there is no disruption to education or employment. This notification should be happening in every out of area placement.
The department collects data on statutory homelessness applications, duties and outcomes for local authorities in England, including data on out of borough placements. The department publishes data on out of area placements in the quarterly statistics here.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 7729 on Homelessness, what information her Department collects to monitor the distance of out-of-area placements.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Homelessness levels are far too high and can have a devastating impact on households affected, as well as putting local authorities and their services under financial strain. Homelessness legislation and the Code of Guidance sets out that local authorities should try to place individuals within their own area, and when this is not possible, they should place the household as near as possible to the original local authority. The Government is clear that local authorities should, as far as possible, avoid placing households out of their borough. However, this is not always possible when there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation.
Under section 208 of the Housing Act 1996, if a local authority places a household into accommodation in another local area, they are required by law to notify the local authority of any placement, to ensure there is no disruption to education or employment. This notification should be happening in every out of area placement.
The department collects data on statutory homelessness applications, duties and outcomes for local authorities in England, including data on out of borough placements. The department publishes data on out of area placements in the quarterly statistics here.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to review the funding criteria of Homes England to help facilitate investment in regeneration projects covering areas with high-density colliery housing that have significant numbers of (a) void, (b) derelict and (c) poor-quality homes, even if such regeneration schemes may result in a net reduction in the overall housing supply.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The department works closely with Homes England to ensure investment in housing and regeneration schemes supports the delivery of the Government’s wider housing ambitions, including providing high-quality new homes in the areas where they are most needed. We will carefully consider investment criteria for future funding against these ambitions to ensure they are being met.
The 2021-2026 Affordable Homes Programme can fund regeneration schemes where they are being delivered alongside net additional affordable housing. We plan to address the significant unmet need for affordable housing through the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. Any assessment of the role of grant funding in the future delivery of affordable housing will be made at the next Spending Review.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will bring forward legislative proposals to limit the distance local authorities can relocate (a) people and (b) families when discharging a homelessness duty.
Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Homelessness levels are far too high and too many families are living in temporary accommodation. We will take the action needed to tackle this issue and develop a long-term, cross-government strategy, through working with Mayors, councils and key stakeholders, to end homelessness for good.
Homelessness legislation sets out that local authorities should try to place individuals within their own area, and when this is not possible, they should place the household as near as possible to the original local authority. The Government is clear that local authorities should, as far as possible, avoid placing households out of their borough. However, this is not always possible when there is a limited supply of suitable accommodation. If a local authority places a household into accommodation in another local area, they are required by law to notify the local authority of any placement, to ensure there is no disruption to education or employment.