Homelessness

The primary homelessness legislation, Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 (HA 1996), and Part 2 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 (H(W)A 2014) provides the statutory underpinning for action to prevent homelessness and provide assistance to people who are threatened with or are actually homeless.

The relevant code of guidance in England is the Homelessness code of guidance for local authorities February 2018 (2018 Code) and in Wales is the Code of guidance for local authorities on the allocation of accommodation and homelessness (Wales) (Welsh Code).

Homelessness services and assessment duties

Under the Homelessness Act 2002 there is an obligation on every LHA to produce a local homelessness strategy. The strategy must be renewed at least every five years. The social services authority must provide reasonable assistance to the LHA in producing a strategy bespoke for the LHA’s area.

The overarching strategic aims for LHAs should be to address:

  1. homelessness prevention

  2. securing sufficient accommodation for the homeless

  3. providing support for the homeless

The strategy must be based on the results of a homelessness review—therefore a concurrent obligation arises to carry

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Latest Local Government News

Local Government weekly highlights—23 October 2025

This week’s edition of Local Government weekly highlights includes: a case analysis of the Supreme Court case of C G Fry & Son Ltd v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, confirming national planning policy cannot override rights granted by outline planning permission and that regulation 63 of the Habitats Regulations applies to later planning stages; Friends of the Lake District v Lake District National Park Authority, affirming a balanced approach to conservation and planning judgment in National Parks; and The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Wandsworth v Young (by his litigation friend the Official Solicitor), in which the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal against a possession order, stating that Parliament has laid down specific requirements in section 193 of the Housing Act 1996 regarding cessation of the main housing duty and that section 184 notification requirements did not apply in such cases. News includes: DfE has published updated guidance for local authorities on the children in need census for 2025–2026; publication of the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, outlining reforms to address skills gaps; MHCLG guidance on Awaab’s Law for timely social housing repairs; draft regulations to direct data centres into the NSIP regime; and CCS updates on SME support, supplier relationship management and anti-slavery procurement guidance. It also includes further updates on Planning, Social housing, Children’s social care, Education, Public procurement, Governance, Healthcare, Social Care and Environmental law and climate change.

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