30
Accepted
The government must require local authorities in their action plans to set out how they...
Recommendation
The government must require local authorities in their action plans to set out how they plan to reduce their reliance on nightly-paid accommodation and provide updates on their progress. The government should also work with local authorities to understand the barriers that are preventing councils from entering longer-term arrangements with landlords. (Recommendation, Paragraph 91)
Government Response Summary
The government stated that local authorities are already required through grant conditions and an accountability toolkit to produce policies and action plans detailing how they will reduce reliance on expensive temporary accommodation. They are also considering incentives for longer-term arrangements as part of the Thematic Value for Money Review.
Government Response
Accepted
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
We are committed to ensuring that temporary accommodation quality standards are met and that landlords who are providing poor-quality and excessively expensive homes cannot exploit the current crisis. Privately-managed self-contained nightly paid accommodation is now the most common form of temporary accommodation and, while useful and necessary in certain circumstances, is often significantly more expensive and of more variable quality than other options. As part of our work through the Thematic Value for Money Review on homelessness spend that is being led by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, we are considering what Government can do to incentivise local authorities to enter into better value, longer term arrangements. At local level, local authorities are now required by grant conditions to produce a policy for procuring and allocating sufficient temporary accommodation and ensuring it is suitable. The Government’s Local Performance and Accountability toolkit details how action plans should include a long-term plan for delivering good-quality temporary accommodation to meet anticipated need and, where necessary, how the local authority will reduce reliance on expensive and on poor-quality temporary accommodation, including through an increased focus on prevention, better use of data, planning and stock management, minimisation of voids and move-on into settled accommodation.
Source
Inquiry
Housing Conditions in England
Report
5th Report - Housing Conditions in Temporary Accommodation
22 Apr 2026
HC 1831
Addressee Bodies
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Timeline
Recommendation age
0.3 yrs
Report published
22 Apr 2026