Temporary Accommodation

(asked on 24th March 2022) - View Source

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his policy is on the maximum time that people should stay in temporary housing settings.


Answered by
Eddie Hughes Portrait
Eddie Hughes
This question was answered on 31st March 2022

Time spent in temporary accommodation means people are getting help and it ensures no family is without a roof over their head. Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation for households owed the main homelessness duty until suitable long-term accommodation can be offered to them - there is no statutory limit on the length of time this may take.

The Government has been clear that the long-term use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families with children is both inappropriate and unlawful and we are determined to stop this practice. Housing authorities must not use B&Bs to accommodate families with children or pregnant women except where there is no alternative available, and then for a maximum period of 6 weeks. We will continue to work with local authorities to limit the use of bed and breakfast accommodation.

The Government is committed to fully enforcing the Homelessness Reduction Act, including helping local authorities to support families to move out of temporary accommodation. In 2021/22, local authorities received £375 million through the Homelessness Prevention Grant, and can use this funding flexibly, including to offer financial support for people to find a new home. In 2022/23, we will provide a further £315.8 million to local authorities through the Homelessness Prevention Grant.

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