5th Report - Housing Conditions in Temporary Accommodation

The government agrees on the need to understand temporary accommodation quality and commits to investigating options to improve data collection, building on existing surveys, with an update to the Committee in autumn.

The government agreed with the need to improve understanding of temporary accommodation quality and is investigating options to enhance data collection, building on existing surveys like the English Housing Survey. They committed to providing an update to the Committee in the autumn.

The government welcomes the application of the Decent Homes Standard to temporary accommodation and plans to apply the reformed standard wherever possible, noting current standards already apply. It acknowledges the need for an implementation period but doesn't set specific interim targets, instead committing to publish guidance by end of 2026 and work with sector bodies.

The government effectively rejects setting interim targets for upgrading temporary accommodation to the new Decent Homes Standard, instead reiterating existing standards and commitments to apply the reformed standard and publish guidance by the end of 2026.

The government agrees local authorities must deliver their statutory duty regarding suitability of temporary accommodation, stating that current legislation and the Homelessness Code of Guidance already outline requirements for authorities to review housing conditions and ensure accommodation is free of Category 1 hazards.

The government states existing guidance obliges housing authorities to review conditions and that good management involves inspections. It highlights a new power for local authorities (from summer 2026) to issue fines for Category 1 hazards in private rented temporary accommodation, but does not commit to mandatory inspections or additional funding.

The government stated that Awaab's Law already applies to social rented temporary accommodation and they will soon consult on extending its scope to private rented temporary accommodation and those occupied under licence. They will consider the recommendation for a phased rollout as part of their response to this consultation.

The government states Awaab’s Law already applies to social housing tenancies used as temporary accommodation. For other temporary accommodation types, they will soon consult on extending the law's scope and will consider this recommendation as part of their consultation response.

The government states that existing requirements address overcrowding but commits to working with the sector to better understand the issue, ensure enforcement guidance highlights overcrowding, and investigate options to improve data collection on overcrowding and hazards. They will also use the Emergency Accommodation Reduction Programme to address poor practice.

The government states that existing requirements address overcrowding but commits to working with the sector to better understand the issue, ensure enforcement guidance highlights overcrowding, and investigate options to improve data collection on overcrowding and hazards to strengthen the evidence base.

The government acknowledged the risk of councils moving families from B&Bs into other unsuitable accommodation or out-of-area placements. They committed to using the £30m Emergency Accommodation Reduction Programme, clarifying suitability guidance, setting expectations for councils on placements, and working with stakeholders to identify and tackle other high-risk temporary accommodation forms.

The government states that data on councils breaching the six-week B&B limit is already published and they will use existing escalation routes to address poor performance and call out councils. They also commit to clarifying expectations for out-of-area placements and engaging with stakeholders to address poor practice.

The government states its commitment to eliminating unlawful B&B use and will review the use of socially managed hostel accommodation, considering further action to reduce or regulate its use and improve practice.

The government rejected amending the B&B definition to restrict all shared-facility accommodation for families to six weeks, stating that some local authority-owned or commissioned shared facilities can be suitable. They will, however, review the use of socially managed hostel accommodation to consider further action to reduce or regulate its use.

The government rejected publishing a 10-year plan to phase out all shared accommodation for families, stating they lack evidence to support this, but are engaging stakeholders to identify problematic forms. They stated they are already tracking B&B use beyond six weeks and will clarify reporting guidance for other shared accommodation.

The government agrees that safeguarding risks must be mitigated and will engage with the sector to consider amending guidance to ensure it is absolutely clear that children's safety must be prioritised in temporary accommodation.

The government agrees on the importance of safeguarding and minimizing risks, stating current guidance prohibits B&Bs for families. They commit to engaging with the sector to consider whether further guidance amendments are needed to clarify that placements for children must minimize safeguarding risks.

The government commits to engaging with the sector and reviewing how to implement the Decent Homes Standard across temporary accommodation, but defers a decision on specific amendments or routes until further consideration.

The government acknowledged the concern, stating the Decent Homes Standard already applies to social landlord temporary accommodation. They committed to engaging with the sector to implement the standard across different temporary accommodation types and are reviewing compliance and considering amending the Suitability Order.

The government will engage with the sector to understand how to implement the Decent Homes Standard across temporary accommodation and review compliance, but is not yet in a position to confirm amending the Suitability Order, though it will be considered.

The government accepts the importance of suitable accommodation for those with complex needs, stating it will review and update the Care Act 2014 statutory guidance and publish new support guidance to improve clarity and joined-up practice across services by 2026.

The government does not commit to mandatory inspections before placement but states that good temporary accommodation management involves inspections. It commits to strengthening statutory guidance by reviewing and updating the Care Act 2014 guidance and publishing new support guidance to improve practice for those with complex needs.

The government states that local authorities are developing supported housing strategies that will forecast demand for complex needs, and these plans will be published. Regarding M4(2) standards, they consulted on proposals for a national minimum of 40% new housing to meet M4(2) standards and are analyzing responses, with a response to come in due course.

The government accepted the request for an update, stating they are considering supported housing as part of the Thematic Value for Money Review. They highlighted ongoing actions, including £159 million in funding and published guidance for local authorities, and committed to providing continued updates to the committee.

The government states the DWP is keeping Housing Benefit subsidy levels under review and commits to considering the best way to sustainably fund good-quality temporary accommodation, linking it to a thematic review on homelessness.

The government stated that the Department for Work and Pensions is keeping Housing Benefit subsidy levels under review, with future decisions dependent on government missions and fiscal context, rather than committing to unfreezing rates to match LHA. They are also committed to considering sustainable funding and will engage with stakeholders through the Thematic Value for Money Review to identify appropriate ways forward for subsidy rules.

The government acknowledges the concern about competition driving up temporary accommodation costs, stating it is working to explore a value-for-money model for asylum accommodation and using crown land to mitigate issues and reduce homelessness risk.

The government's response discusses broader asylum accommodation reforms and the use of crown land, but does not provide the requested update on locally-led approaches to reduce competition between public bodies or state plans for wider rollout.

The government acknowledges the concern regarding expensive, poor-quality nightly-paid accommodation and states it is considering incentives for local authorities to enter better value, longer-term arrangements as part of a review.

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.

The government acknowledges concerns about the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) freeze, stating it will keep LHA rates under review and notes that rates were set to the 30th percentile from April 2024. It also points to the Crisis Resilience Fund Housing Payment for additional support.

The government states that Local Housing Allowance rates were already set to the 30th percentile of local market rents from April 2024, fulfilling the recommendation.

The government states that existing guidance (Local Government and Accountability Toolkit) already requires local authorities to have long-term plans for temporary accommodation, and they are continuing to explore options to support councils and share effective demand forecasting approaches.

The government states that local authorities are already required to have policies for procuring temporary accommodation, including assessing anticipated demand and having a long-term plan, as detailed in the Local Government and Accountability Toolkit. It will continue to explore options and share effective demand forecasting approaches.

The government acknowledges the criticality of boosting affordable and social housing supply, confirming a £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme (2026-2036) with an ambition to deliver 300,000 homes, at least 60% for social rent, to tackle homelessness.

The government states that Homes England and the Greater London Authority have already published full guidance and assessment criteria for the Social and Affordable Homes Programme, detailing how bids are assessed and how value for money is considered.

The government acknowledges the risk that interventions to raise temporary accommodation standards could adversely impact supply, outlining its National Plan to End Homelessness, including a £950 million fund and exploring partnerships to invest in quality accommodation.

The government provided a generic statement about continuing to meet requirements for conducting impact assessments for government policies, but did not commit to publishing the specific cumulative impact assessment requested.