Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate his Department has made of the number of local authorities that take into account the needs of veterans in their homelessness strategies.

Our veterans play a vital role in keeping our country safe and we are committed to ensuring that they are provided with all the support they need to successfully adjust back into civilian life.

Housing authorities are required to publish a Homelessness Strategy and update it at a minimum every five years. Statutory guidance is clear that when drawing up their strategies for preventing and reducing homelessness, housing authorities must consider the needs of all groups of people in their district who are homeless or likely to become homeless and may require a broader package of resettlement support, such as veterans.

The Homelessness Reduction Act  2017 (HRA) was introduced to transform the culture of homelessness service delivery. Local authorities and other public bodies must work together to  prevent and relieve homelessness for people at risk, irrespective of whether they are a family or single person, the reason they are at risk, or if they have a local connection to the area.

A person who is vulnerable as a result of having been a member of Her Majesty’s regular armed forces (a veteran) has a priority need for accommodation. This will include a person who was previously a member of the regular naval, military or air forces.