Homelessness—vulnerable groups

Copyright © 2025 LexisNexis
Produced in partnership with Elizabeth England
Practice notes

Homelessness—vulnerable groups

Copyright © 2025 LexisNexis

Produced in partnership with Elizabeth England

Practice notes
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This Practice Note explores the special provisions which apply to groups who are particularly vulnerable to homelessness and refers to the Homelessness code of guidance for local authorities (the Homelessness Code).

For more information on vulnerability for the purposes of assessing a person’s Priority need for accommodation, see Practice Note: Homelessness—priority need for accommodation.

Local authority duties

Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 (HA 1996) sets out the statutory framework for assessing whether or not a person will be owed a duty, and if so what duty, by a local housing Authority (LHA) if they are homeless. See Practice Note: Homelessness—assisting the homeless post-3 April 2018.

In 2002, the government amended HA 1996 homelessness legislation through the Homelessness Act 2002 (HA 2002) and the Homelessness (Priority Need for Accommodation) (England) Order 2002, SI 2002/2051 to:

  1. •

    ensure a more strategic approach to tackling and preventing homelessness, in particular by requiring a homelessness strategy for every LHA district, and

  2. •

    strengthen the assistance available to people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness by extending the priority need categories to homeless 16

Elizabeth England
Elizabeth England

Employed as a housing case worker in 2015 at award winning legal aid practice Turpin & Miller Solicitors in Oxford, trained and later became head of the housing team. After a series of high-profile cases, she moved to north-west specialist housing firm Pearson & Johnson Solicitors advising and representing local authorities and registered social landlords. Whilst there she obtained Higher Rights and conducted advocacy on behalf of the firm in the range of housing law issues. In 2014 was invited to join London chambers 42 Bedford Row to work with a specialist housing law team. Now represents a range of clients from inner-London borough councils to private clients in the full spectrum of housing law. Elizabeth provides regular training to the London Borough Legal Association. Recent cases include

    Obtaining and enforcing possession orders for landlords
    Defending possession claims for tenants
    Dealing with Human Rights defences
    Dealing with Equality Act defences
    Dealing with unlawful occupiers and squatters
    Unlwaful eviction and harassment
    Disrepair, nuisance and statutory nuisance
    Homelessness reviews and appeals in County Court
    Injunctions to prevent anti-social behaviour and other orders available under he ASB Crime and Policing Act 2014 including committal applications
    Service charge claims
    Leasehold management issues

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Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom
Related legal acts:
Key definition:
authorities definition
What does authorities mean?

judicial decisions or opinions of authors of repute used as grounds of statements of law;

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