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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment has been made, if any, of the possible impacts of the Civil Procedure (Amendment No.4) (Coronavirus) Rules 2020 (SI 2020/751) on the duties of local authorities under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 is the most ambitious reform to homelessness legislation in decades. It placed new duties on local housing authorities to take reasonable steps to try to prevent and relieve a person’s homelessness. These duties have not been amended by the Civil Procedure Rules.

Local authorities must work with people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness within 56 days to develop personalised housing plans, tailored to focus on the needs and circumstances of the household. They must do so irrespective of whether they are a family or single person or the reason they are at risk.

Local authorities also have a duty to provide or secure the provision of advice and information about homelessness and the prevention of homelessness, free of charge to any person in their district.