Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to ensure that the planning system delivers sufficient affordable homes to meet the needs of families currently living in temporary accommodation.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) makes clear that local authorities should assess the size, type, and tenure of housing needed for different groups, including those who require affordable and social rent homes, and should reflect this in their planning policies and decisions.

Assessments of affordable housing need should estimate the numbers of those who cannot meet their needs in the market, including those in temporary accommodation. Local planning authorities are expected to set out the proportion and type of affordable and social rent housing that new development will be required to provide.

The government is currently consulting on a new NPPF that includes clearer, rules- based policies for plan-making and decision-making. The consultation includes policies to increase the viable provision of more affordable homes.

The consultation can be found on gov.uk here and will remain open for responses until 10 March 2026.