Local Authorities: Temporary Accommodation Costs

Lord Laming Excerpts

Tuesday 22nd April 2025 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

The noble Baroness referred to the homelessness prevention grant. The overall increase to that fund—the largest since the grant began—is important. It will be allocated to all local authorities in England based on their homelessness pressures. I will talk to the District Councils’ Network to see what it has found, because the grant is supposed to be allocated to meet the homelessness pressures of individual local authorities.

[Lord Laming (CB)]

My Lords, will the Minister ensure that when government funding is given to local authorities to deal with the problem of homelessness, the standard of provision will be adequate? We are particularly concerned about the number of families with young children who are in accommodation with excessive dampness.

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

The noble Lord makes a key point: it is very important that temporary accommodation is suitable for the needs of the household, and councils should keep the suitability of accommodation under review. Through the Renters’ Rights Bill, the Government will introduce powers to apply the decent homes standard to the private rented sector. Included in that provision is the power to bring temporary accommodation into the scope of the decent homes standard, as it is the Government’s intention that the decent homes standard should apply to temporary accommodation.