Asked by: Luke Murphy (Labour - Basingstoke)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms his Department uses to monitor (a) the impact of private rented sector reforms on the availability of housing for vulnerable people and (b) local housing authorities' assessment of vulnerability and priority need among homelessness applicants with severe mental health conditions.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department collects data on the private rented sector through the English Housing Survey, which is published annually and can be found on gov.uk here, and through ongoing longitudinal survey of private tenants.
My Department also publishes data showing the number of households owed a prevention or relief duty where there are support needs, including the number who have support needs due to a history of mental health problems. This data can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for each of the past five years, what proportion of households in temporary accommodation were (a) UK nationals, (b) EU nationals and (c) non‑EU nationals.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
MHCLG publish information on nationality of main applicants owed a homelessness duty. This is available in table A9 of our financial year datasets published on gov.uk here. We do not publish separate information on nationality of main applicants in Temporary Accommodation.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of furniture poverty on health outcomes.
Answered by Sharon Hodgson - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
The links between material deprivation and poorer mental and physical health are well recognised. As highlighted by the campaign ‘End Furniture Poverty’, furniture can be one of the most expensive items people can purchase, and living without essential items can have an impact on health.
We know everyday life poses greater health risks to the most disadvantaged in society, and that the current model of healthcare works least well for those who already experience disadvantage and are far more likely to have complex needs. This is why the 10-Year Health Plan for the National Health Service in England sets out a reimagined service designed to tackle inequalities in both access and outcomes.
The Department of Health and Social Care is also working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on housing quality and homelessness issues, including the new Decent Homes Standard and implementation of Awaab’s Law to improve the quality of rented homes.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has invested in the Household Support Fund to enable local authorities in England to provide discretionary support to vulnerable households in the most need with the cost of essentials. People in need may be able to get help for essential furniture from their local council through the Household Support Fund and other services available locally.
Asked by: Rupert Lowe (Restore Britain - Great Yarmouth)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, for each of the past five years, what proportion of households refused a homelessness duty were (a) UK nationals, (b) EU nationals and (c) non‑EU nationals, and what proportion were refused due to immigration‑related ineligibility.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government publishes quarterly data on the number of households refused a homelessness duty, which you can access in Table A1 of the quarterly and annual statutory homelessness data published on gov.uk here. This data does not include the reason why a household was refused a duty.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the freeze in Local Housing Allowance on levels of rough sleeping and homelessness in England.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The causes of rough sleeping and homelessness are multifaceted and are driven by a range of factors, both personal and structural.
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates are annually reviewed, usually in the Autumn. At Autumn budget 2025, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions reviewed LHA and announced that rates would be maintained at their current levels for 2026/27. Rent levels across Great Britian were considered alongside other factors such as the challenging fiscal context and welfare priorities, including the removal of the two-child limit which will bring 450,000 children out of poverty.
DWP worked closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the National Plan to End Homelessness, which is driving sustainable change and addressing the root causes of homelessness and we continue working together with MHCLG and HMT to keep LHA rates under review.
Renters facing a shortfall in meeting their housing costs can apply for discretionary housing support from local authorities.
Asked by: Dan Norris (Independent - North East Somerset and Hanham)
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 protect supported housing in NE Somerset and Hanham constituency.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government is committed to improving the quality of supported housing across England. We are implementing measures in the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act 2023, which will strengthen local oversight, improve quality of support and require councils to produce Local Supported Housing Strategies to understand local supply, demand and unmet need.
We recognise the significant challenges faced by the supported housing and homelessness sector. As announced at Autumn Budget 2025, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury is leading work across government to improve the value for money of homelessness services, including delivery models to increase the supply of good‑quality, good‑value supported housing.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
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 has taken to help reduce youth homelessness in Hornsey and Friern Barnet constituency.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to question UIN 113761 on 23 February 2026.
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many households in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan were assessed as owed homelessness duty, broken down into (i) prevention duty, (ii) relief duty and (iii) main duty in each year since 2020.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government collects data on the number of people in temporary accommodation as a quarterly snapshot. To compare the number of people in temporary accommodation in Salford and Wigan year-on-year, you can compare the latest data from 30 September 2025 here with the same day in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020.
The government publishes annual data on the number of households owed a prevention and relief duty by local authority. You can find the data on gov.uk for 2024/25, 2023/24, 2022/23, 2021/22 and 2020/21. If homelessness is not successfully prevented or relieved and an applicant is unintentionally homeless, eligible for assistance and has priority need, the main duty is owed and the applicant will be placed in temporary accommodation. To compare the number of people owed a main duty in Salford and Wigan year-on-year, you can use the links to the published temporary accommodation data given above.
Asked by: Michael Wheeler (Labour - Worsley and Eccles)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many households were living in temporary accommodation in (a) Salford and (b) Wigan in each year since 2020.
Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government collects data on the number of people in temporary accommodation as a quarterly snapshot. To compare the number of people in temporary accommodation in Salford and Wigan year-on-year, you can compare the latest data from 30 September 2025 here with the same day in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020.
The government publishes annual data on the number of households owed a prevention and relief duty by local authority. You can find the data on gov.uk for 2024/25, 2023/24, 2022/23, 2021/22 and 2020/21. If homelessness is not successfully prevented or relieved and an applicant is unintentionally homeless, eligible for assistance and has priority need, the main duty is owed and the applicant will be placed in temporary accommodation. To compare the number of people owed a main duty in Salford and Wigan year-on-year, you can use the links to the published temporary accommodation data given above.
Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they gave to including targets for building permanent affordable social housing in the Child Poverty Strategy.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Child Poverty Strategy was developed in collaboration with the National Plan to End Homelessness because the government is focussing on delivering long-term solutions across both agendas. The National Plan to End Homelessness includes our action to tackle the root causes of homelessness, including a generational increase in new social and affordable homes. We are delivering a new 10-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme backed by a £39 billion investment, which aims to build 300,000 social and affordable homes over the programme’s lifetime.