Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of housing support available to people leaving prison who have engaged extensively with rehabilitation programmes; and whether her Department plans to review guidance to local housing authorities on the eligibility of reformed offenders for access to social housing.

As part of our National Plan to End Homelessness, we outlined our ambition that no one should leave a public institution into homelessness.

My department is working with the Ministry of Justice to embed partnerships to strengthen pre-release planning and cross-agency work at local levels where it will have the greatest impact. The Ministry of Justice is also committed to continuing investment in its Community Accommodation Service to provide transitional accommodation for those at risk of homelessness on release. That support is alongside my department’s record investment of more than £4 billion in homelessness and rough sleeping over the next three years.

Our National Plan also announced work to update statutory guidance on social housing allocations to ensure that they reflect local need and effectively support vulnerable households.

The review of social housing allocations guidance will consider qualification rules for social housing and how allocation schemes are framed and managed. We are gathering evidence from local authorities, housing providers and other stakeholders, and aim to consult on the updated guidance in early 2027.