Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies on facilitating moving on from emergency accommodation of the findings published in paragraph 15 on page 8 of the National Audit Office Investigation into the housing of rough sleepers during the COVID-19 pandemic, published on 14 January 2021.

This Government has taken unprecedented steps to protect rough sleepers during the pandemic. This work has not stopped, and through Everyone In, by November we had supported around 33,000 people with nearly 10,000 in emergency accommodation and over 23,000 already moved on into longer-term accommodation.

We have been in close contact with councils to develop plans for the coming months, supported by the Next Steps Accommodation Programme, which aims to ensure that as few people as possible return to the streets. This includes bringing forward 3,300 new homes this year for rough sleepers, backed by £150 million, leaving a national legacy of the Government’s support for these individuals.

Through this programme and as part of the move on process, local authorities could bid for support for individuals, in line with legal restrictions, to determine or resolve their immigration status. Local authorities were also able to bid for funding to facilitate reconnections with friends or family through voluntary returns and provide employment support. The Home Office has also put in place a dedicated Rough Sleeping Support Service to prioritise support work and help people who sleep rough resolve their immigration status.

For some people, who have received all available support, they may decide to return to their home country. For people who have no means of doing so, or who need some assistance, the Voluntary Returns Service can provide practical support to assist those who wish to return.

The Government is also providing funding for charities and voluntary organisations across the country to provide help and information to vulnerable EU citizens applying to the EU Settlement Scheme.