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

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the key factors which have determined changes in the levels of homelessness in England and Wales since 2015.

Homelessness is rarely just a housing issue. It is often the result of a combination of related issues including health, education, justice, welfare and employment.

That is why we are taking action across government, including through the Ministerial Working Group convened by DCLG, to make sure all departments are working together to tackle homelessness.

We are overhauling homelessness data to give us an even clearer understanding of the underlying causes and, most importantly, what really works to prevent and relieve homelessness.

We are investing over £500 million to tackle homelessness - including our £50 million Homelessness Prevention Programme - and we are supporting Bob Blackman's Homelessness Reduction Bill, to improve the support available for those facing a homelessness crisis and to ensure that people get help earlier to prevent their homelessness in the first place. Local authorities will be provided with £61 million of new burdens funding to carry out their new duties under the Bill.