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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of the need to record people as having been made intentionally homeless on their ability to find new homes.

Where a local housing authority finds an applicant to be intentionally homeless, or intentionally threatened with homelessness, they have a duty to ensure the applicant is provided with advice and assistance in any attempts the applicant may make to secure, or maintain the availability of, accommodation. Where an applicant has a priority need for accommodation the authority also has a duty to secure accommodation for a period that will give the applicant a reasonable opportunity of securing accommodation for their occupation.