COVID-19: Housing rough sleepers

Public Accounts Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 17 Dec 2020 Closed: 17 May 2021 Parliament page
Rough sleepers are often highly vulnerable, and typically have far more underlying health conditions than other members of society. Rough sleepers were especially vulnerable during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic , when their homelessness led to difficulties following Public Health England’s advice on self-isolation, social distancing and hygiene. … Read more
2 Recommendations
19 Conclusions
1 Report
1 Oral session
3 Letters
1 Event
Activity timeline 7 events
31 Aug
2021
Report published
15 Jun
2021
Correspondence
17 Mar
2021
Report published
1 Mar
2021
Correspondence
23 Feb
2021
Correspondence
25 Jan
2021
Oral evidence
25 Jan
2021
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Virtual meeting
Oral evidence sessions 1 session
25 Jan 2021
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COVID-19: Housing rough sleepers
Baroness Casey of Blackstock · Rough Sleeping Taskforce Jeremy Pocklington · Ministry of Defence Penny Hobman · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: housing people sleeping rough HC 934 17 Mar 2021 21 Responded
Recommendations & Conclusions
21 results
2 Recommendation
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
The Department still does not have a plan for achieving its target of ending rough...
The Department still does not have a plan for achieving its target of ending rough sleeping by 2024, and risks failing to capitalise on the successes of Everyone In. Following the general election in December 2019 the government began this … Read more
HM Treasury
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3 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
The size of the rough sleeping population and those at risk of rough sleeping is...
The size of the rough sleeping population and those at risk of rough sleeping is far higher than the snapshot the Department is relying on, exposing the inadequacy of its current approach to data collection and reporting. One consequence of … Read more
Government Response
3.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 3.2 The department has so far published five snapshots of the data (as at May, September, November, December 2020 and January 2021). … Read more
HM Treasury
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4 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
The Department has provided a number of different funding streams to local authorities to cover...
The Department has provided a number of different funding streams to local authorities to cover the pandemic response for people sleeping rough, but many are short-term and reactive, and the Department does not have a cohesive long- term funding plan … Read more
Government Response
4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Winter 2021 4.2 This year alone the department have committed over £750 million to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. … Read more
HM Treasury
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5 Recommendation
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
The Department has provided mixed messages to local authorities on how to support people sleeping...
The Department has provided mixed messages to local authorities on how to support people sleeping rough who have no recourse to public funds, and has no long-term plan for those who have been taken into hotels. Local authorities are generally … Read more
HM Treasury
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6 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
It is uncertain whether the Department will meet its objective of providing 3,300 homes for...
It is uncertain whether the Department will meet its objective of providing 3,300 homes for people sleeping rough by the end of March 2021. Under its Rough Sleeper Accommodation Programme, the Department has distributed £161 million funding against bids from … Read more
Government Response
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: May 2021 6.2 The Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme represents the biggest ever government investment in move-on accommodation for rough … Read more
HM Treasury
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1 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence...
On the basis of a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General, we took evidence from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (the Department).1 We also took evidence from Baroness Casey, who temporarily led the Department’s pandemic response … Read more
Government Response
Based on a report by the National Audit Office, the Committee took evidence, on 25 January 2021 from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). The Committee published … Read more
HM Treasury
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7 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
Notwithstanding the evident successes of Everyone In in the first wave of the pandemic, the...
Notwithstanding the evident successes of Everyone In in the first wave of the pandemic, the National Audit Office noted that the Department’s response to the resurgence of COVID-19 in autumn and winter 2020 did not appear as comprehensive as in … Read more
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8 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
The Department’s current Rough Sleeping Strategy was launched in August 2018, with a commitment to...
The Department’s current Rough Sleeping Strategy was launched in August 2018, with a commitment to end rough sleeping by 2027.22 In December 2019 the new Government was elected with a manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping by May 2024, three … Read more
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9 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
In our evidence session the Department was unable to define exactly what it meant by...
In our evidence session the Department was unable to define exactly what it meant by the commitment “to end” rough sleeping; nor was it able to state clearly whether it was on track to meet this target, or how it … Read more
Government Response
2.1 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation. 2.2 The government disagrees with the Committee’s recommendation, although it will be important to ensure sufficient time for the development of the … Read more
HM Treasury
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10 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
Tackling rough sleeping on its own without addressing homelessness as a whole may even worsen...
Tackling rough sleeping on its own without addressing homelessness as a whole may even worsen other measures of homelessness, if it means only placing more people in temporary accommodation, thereby adding to the number of homeless households.29 Baroness Casey told … Read more
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11 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
The Department publishes one official measure of rough sleeping, its annual snapshot, which estimates the...
The Department publishes one official measure of rough sleeping, its annual snapshot, which estimates the number of people sleeping rough on one night every autumn.34 The latest annual snapshot of figure before the pandemic, taken in autumn 2019 was 4,266.35 … Read more
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12 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
In June 2020 the Department began regular data collections from local authorities on numbers of...
In June 2020 the Department began regular data collections from local authorities on numbers of people sleeping rough in their area.40 In spite of the Everyone In initiative (and other measures, such as a ban on evictions in the private … Read more
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13 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
As of January 2021, local authorities said they were expecting to spend an extra £192...
As of January 2021, local authorities said they were expecting to spend an extra £192 million in the 2020–21 financial year, in respect of additional spending on homelessness and rough sleeping as a result of the pandemic.46 The Department considers … Read more
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14 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
In addition, the Department is providing around £700 million for rough sleeping and homelessness in...
In addition, the Department is providing around £700 million for rough sleeping and homelessness in 2020–21, with the majority of this funding distributed through local authorities.49 Before the pandemic, the Department had planned to spend £495 million in 2020–21, as … Read more
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15 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
Since October 2020, the Department has made a series of smaller funding commitments for the...
Since October 2020, the Department has made a series of smaller funding commitments for the winter months, including a £10 million Cold Weather Fund, £12 million Protect Programme and £10 million in January 2021 for extra COVID protection for people … Read more
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16 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
The immigration status of people sleeping rough who are non-UK nationals can affect their legal...
The immigration status of people sleeping rough who are non-UK nationals can affect their legal entitlement to benefits. In some cases these are immigrants from countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA), whose visas impose the condition that they have … Read more
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17 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
At the outset of Everyone In, the Department gave a clear message to local authorities...
At the outset of Everyone In, the Department gave a clear message to local authorities that, as this was a public health emergency, they were to bring everyone in (“whether they are from Bromley or Portugal”), irrespective of immigration status … Read more
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18 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
At out evidence session the Department was unable to answer several of our queries about...
At out evidence session the Department was unable to answer several of our queries about these cohorts. It told us it believed that people sleeping rough with no recourse to public funds would be eligible to receive vaccinations against COVID-19, … Read more
HM Treasury
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19 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
Under its Rough Sleeper Accommodation Programme, the Department has distributed £161 million funding against bids...
Under its Rough Sleeper Accommodation Programme, the Department has distributed £161 million funding against bids from local authorities for the provision of 3,300 homes for housing rough sleepers.76 In October the Department led us to believe the majority of these … Read more
HM Treasury
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20 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
The Department described these 3,300 homes as “move-on” accommodation, although it made clear its assumption...
The Department described these 3,300 homes as “move-on” accommodation, although it made clear its assumption that residents would stay for an average of two years before needing to move on somewhere else. It did not clarify what its plans were … Read more
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21 Conclusion
Forty-Ninth Report - COVID-19: hou…
As of September 2020 the Department was reasonably confident that all 3,300 homes would be...
As of September 2020 the Department was reasonably confident that all 3,300 homes would be completed by its target date of 31 March 2021.80 In our evidence session the 69 C&AG’s Report, para 2.12. 70 Q 41. 71 Qq 31–2. … Read more
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Correspondence 3 letters
15 Jun 2021 Correspondence from Jeremy Pocklington CB, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, re Public Accounts Committee 49th Report. COVID-19: housing people sleeping rough – Update on Recommendation 6, dated 2 June 2021
Parliament page
1 Mar 2021 Correspondence from Sir Chris Wormald, Permanent Secretary, Department of Health and Social Care, re Vaccination against COVID-19 for outreach workers helping rough sleepers, dated 23 February 2021
Parliament page
23 Feb 2021 Correspondence from Public Accounts Committee Chair Meg Hillier to Sir Chris Wormald KCB Permanent Secretary, Department of Health and Social Care, re Vaccination against COVID-19 for outreach workers helping rough sleeper, dated 12 February 2021
Parliament page