The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published a prospectus for the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund, a three-year programme running from 2026 to 2029 with £37m available for voluntary, community and faith sector organisations in England. The fund aims to strengthen community-based support, transform day services and support individuals to live independently to prevent homelessness and rough sleeping. Eligible organisations must have maximum annual income of £5m and have been delivering support to individuals at risk of or experiencing homelessness for at least three years. Applications open at midday on 23 February 2026 and close at midday on 31 March 2026. Revenue funding of £50,000-£200,000 per annum is available for up to three years, with capital funding of £50,000-£200,000 available for either year one or two. Applicants must obtain endorsement letters from local authority homelessness officers and demonstrate alignment with local strategies. The fund forms part of delivering the National Plan to End Homelessness and the government's commitment to halving long-term rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published Circular 03/2026, announcing a replacement direction issued by the Secretary of State under section 11 of the Building Act 1984 concerning the installation of fibre optic cabling in existing non-higher-risk buildings (non-HRBs) in England. The direction dispenses with the procedural requirements in regulations 12 and 17 of the Building Regulations 2010, SI 2010/2214, where building work consists solely of drilling holes of 25 mm or less in diameter in internal or external walls for the installation of fibre optic cabling. It replaces and revokes a direction dated 7 July 2026 and removes the condition requiring the relevant person to give prior written approval for the work having regard to the risk of external fire spread. The remaining conditions, including requirements relating to firestopping, weatherproofing and soundproofing, installer competence and conformity of cabling and materials with BS 6701:2016+A1:2017, continue to apply.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) published the first interim report which uses systems thinking techniques to understand how homelessness and rough sleeping, nteracts with the wider system through interviews, systems mapping and a review of major homelessness and rough sleeping policies and programmes. It evaluates the Homelessness Prevention Grant, Rough Sleeping Initiative, and Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, identifying successes and challenges. The report incorporates insights from central and local government stakeholders, delivery partners, and individuals with lived experience of homelessness and rough sleeping.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published a report by Lord Charles Banner KC, examining the causes of legal challenges against the nationally significant infrastructure planning (NSIP) regime. The review outlines ten recommendations for the government to reduce barriers to development and resolve challenges, including proposing changes to the judicial review process to reduce delays to nationally significant infrastructure projects. Alongside the report, the Ministry of Justice has launched a call for evidence, seeking views on the review’s findings and recommendations, as well as additional proposed changes to address delays from judicial reviews against development consent order decisions. The call for evidence closes on 30 December 2024. The government will consider the review’s recommendations, and responses received from the call for evidence before publishing a response.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published a new collection page, comprising information and resources for local planning authorities to use when developing local plans. These resources align with the current planning policy and legal framework for local plans.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published its response to the consultation on enabling remote attendance and proxy voting at local authority meetings in England. The consultation, which ran from 24 October to 19 December 2024, sought views on implementing remote and hybrid attendance options, alongside proxy voting provisions for members unable to attend due to personal circumstances such as maternity leave. The government's response outlines implementation plans for these new attendance arrangements.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published its response to the technical consultation on the Building Safety Levy, announcing implementation will be delayed until Autumn 2026. The levy will be charged on new dwellings and purpose-built student accommodation in England requiring building control approval, with local authorities acting as collecting authorities. Charges will be calculated using Gross Internal Area measurements, with rates varying by local authority area and a 50% discount applied for previously developed land. The response confirms exemptions for affordable housing, NHS hospitals, care homes and developments under ten units. MHCLG has published detailed levy rates for all local authority areas, ranging from £6.35-£50.17 per square metre, for previously developed land and £12.70-£100.35 for other sites.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published its response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s Phase 2 report, published on 4 September 2024. The government has accepted all 58 recommendations, announcing extensive construction, building, and fire safety reforms. From mid-2025, the government will publish quarterly updates on its progress in implementing these recommendations, along with an annual update to Parliament. These reforms will be delivered in phases: the first phase (2025-2026) will focus on delivering the current regulatory reform programme, while the second phase (2026-2028) will develop proposals to deliver recommendations and broader reforms, including legislative measures. From 2028 onward, MHCLG will focus on implementing these reforms. In addition, MHCLG has published a green paper proposing institutional and regulatory reforms for the construction products regime, including proposals that address both the Grenfell Tower Inquiry’s recommendations and the Morrell-Day Review. The consultation closes on 21 May 2025. Theresa Mohammed, Partner, and Michala Kucharikova, Knowledge Lawyer at Watson Farley & Williams, discuss the implications of the response for the construction industry.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published its response letter written by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Local Government, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s (LGSCO) Triennial Review, declining to accept the recommendation  to make the LGSCO’s Complaint Handling Code mandatory. The letter outlines the government's position that councils in England may choose whether to adopt the revised Code, which was published in April 2024 and developed with input from a pilot group of councils. The Code sets out standards for fair, effective and transparent complaints handling, with the aim of improving how residents’ concerns are addressed and supporting councillors in reviewing organisational learning and service delivery.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published the response to its December 2024 consultation on technical reforms to the compulsory purchase process and compensation rules in England and Wales. MHCLG plans to advance 12 proposals through the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, including: (1) allowing the delegation of decisions on compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) with directions removing hope value to acquiring authorities where no objections are raised; (2) allowing inspectors to make decisions on directions for additional compensation under Schedule 2A to the Land Compensation Act 1961; (3) enabling inspectors to make confirmation decisions on CPOs made under the New Towns Act 1981 (including those with hope value directions); (4) allowing acquiring authorities to take earlier possession of land or property in certain circumstances under the general vesting declarations procedure; and (5) permitting the electronic service of notices under the CPO process and compensation regime, among others.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published the response to its July 2023 consultation on implementing plan-making reforms under the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (LURA 2023). The MHCLG confirmed that it will proceed with many of its initial proposals and remains committed to reducing the time it takes to produce a local plan, from an average of seven years to a 30-month timeframe, as well as achieving universal plan coverage.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has published the response to its December 2024 consultation on permitted insurance fees for landlords, freeholders and property managing agents.