§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what action he intends to take to ensure the provision of adequate single persons' accommodation in both the public and private rented sectors at prices which young single persons can afford.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerWe have taken a number of measures that will help young single people find accommodation including, in particular, the deregulation of new lettings in the private rented sector. Allocation of subsidised rented housing is mainly a matter for local authorities and housing associations; local authorities' duties under the homelessness legislation cover vulnerable single people; and we have recently announced a special programme, costing £100 million over four years, to help people sleeping rough in London.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what studies have been carried out by his Department into single persons' accommodation needs.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerThe Department has published four reports on single persons' accommodation needs.
These are:
- Housing Single People 1: how they live at present. Design Bulletin 23, HMSO 1790.
- Housing Single People 2: A design guide with a description of a scheme at Leicester. Design Bulletin 29, HMSO 1974.
- Housing Single People 3: an appraisal of a purpose built scheme. Design bulletin 33, HMSO 1979.
- Housing Initiatives for Single People of Working Age. DoE, 1982.
The Department will shortly let a research contract on single homeless people including their accommodation needs and preferences.