Documents to download

The Homelessness Reduction Bill is a private member’s bill introduced by Bob Blackman (Conservative MP for Harrow East). It has completed all its stages in the House of Commons and received first reading in the House of Lords on 30 January 2017. The Bill is scheduled to have its second reading on 24 February 2017. This briefing provides a short overview of the contents of the Bill, its progress through the House of Commons and external commentary.   

The Bill aims to refocus local authority efforts on the prevention of homelessness. It places duties on local housing authorities to intervene at earlier stages in order to prevent homelessness and to take reasonable steps to help those who become homeless to secure accommodation. The Bill also requires local housing authorities to provide new homelessness services to people in their area, expanding on the categories of people they are required to help find accommodation.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), local authorities accepted 14,930 households as being statutorily homeless between 1 July and 30 September 2016. This represented a fall of one percent on the previous quarter but up two percent on the same quarter of last year. The ONS also report that the total number of households in temporary accommodation as of 30 September 2016 was 74,630, representing a 55 percent increase on the low of 48,010 on 31 December 2010.


Documents to download

Related posts

  • Holocaust Memorial Bill: HL Bill 4 of 2024–25

    The Holocaust Memorial Bill is due to have its second reading in the House of Lords on 4 September 2024. This bill seeks to make provision for expenditure on the construction and operation of a Holocaust memorial and learning centre. It would also remove restrictions on building these in Victoria Tower Gardens, next to Parliament. It is a government bill, introduced under the previous Conservative government and continued by the newly elected Labour government. The bill is a hybrid bill, meaning it applies generally but also has a particular effect on specific groups, people or places. This entails additional stages for the bill. The bill is made up of two substantive clauses. It would extend to England and Wales, and apply to England. It would come into force two months after receiving royal assent.

    Holocaust Memorial Bill: HL Bill 4 of 2024–25
  • Modern methods of construction in the housing industry

    Modern methods of construction (MMC) refers to a range of building methods that are designed to be more efficient and effective than traditional construction techniques. The House of Lords Built Environment Committee was critical of the Conservative government’s approach to MMC and called for a coherent strategy to promote MMC use in housebuilding. The new Labour government has said it will publish a new long-term housing strategy in the coming months.

    Modern methods of construction in the housing industry