§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 15 November 2001,Official Report, column 832W, on homelessness, if he will specify what provisions exist within the Homelessness Bill to ensure housing authorities take a more strategic, multi-agency approach to (a) the prevention of homelessness and (b) the re-housing of homeless households; and if he will make a statement. [17781]
§ Ms KeebleThe Homelessness Bill includes a requirement for housing authorities, with the assistance of social services authorities, and in consultation 'with other bodies including registered social landlords and voluntary organisations, to:
- carry out reviews of homelessness in their area;
- formulate and publish strategies for tackling and preventing homelessness problems based on the results of those reviews;
- publish the first strategy within 12 months of the coming into operation of these provisions; and
- publish a new strategy thereafter within five years of the previous strategy having been published.
The Bill also requires housing authorities and social services authorities to take the homelessness strategy into account when carrying out their functions.
Details are set out in the explanatory notes which are available in the Library.
§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 15 November 2001,Official Report, column 832W, on homelessness, if he will specify what measures exist within the Homelessness Bill to ensure housing authorities provide the (a) timely and (b) suitable rehousing of homeless households. [17814]
§ Ms KeebleThe Housing Act 1996 requires local housing authorities to secure that suitable accommodation is available immediately for a housing applicant, pending completion of their inquiries, if they have reason to believe that he or she may be homeless, eligible for assistance and have a priority need for accommodation. That duty continues until the authority decides whether a substantive duty is owed. The Homelessness Bill will amend the 1996 Act so that, in all cases where the authority decides that the applicant is eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and falls within a priority need group, they must secure that suitable accommodation is available until a settled housing solution can be found.