Last week we launched our Better Vision for Temporary Accommodation (TA) report, with suggestions for improvements and policy from the sector. The entire report can be found here.
Over the past year, we have consulted with experts living and working in the TA sector. This work is based on hundreds of hours of consultation with 88 individuals working in the sector, and 43 individuals with lived experience of staying in TA. In this report, we set out their views on the issues of key concern, suggesting routes out of the current crisis to create a Better Vision for Temporary Accommodation.
In some ways, this is an update to the Call for Evidence we conducted with the All Party Parliamentary Group for TA in 2023, in that it gives fresh insight into the state of the sector. However, where the Call for Evidence focused on conditions, Better Vision focuses on solutions, providing a starting point for bold, radical change that will address the problems of TA on multiple fronts.
There was broad agreement around four themes that cut across the homelessness journey. Much of this will be familiar, as it underpins the call for action that has been made by a united homelessness sector, highlighting the need for a whole system approach.
Increase the supply of affordable housing
The participants highlighted the need to create more truly affordable homes, reducing the need for temporary accommodation. To reach this goal, a heavy emphasis on creating social housing is essential. There is broad agreement in the sector that 90,000 social homes need to be built every year, for at least the next 10 years. The research participants agreed with this figure, and emphasised that a significant number of acquisitions of long-term empty or derelict properties should be used for social housing, in order to protect the green belt and speed up the process of creating new homes.
“You’ve got empty homes sat there, and you’ve got a shortage of housing. Then you have people living on the streets. You have people living in B&B accommodations. So if there are stronger regulations around compulsory purchase orders where it’s a simplified process…It feels like that’s a bit of a no brainer, doesn’t it?” - Research participant
In addition, it is essential that the Right to Buy scheme is abolished, to stop the loss of current social housing stock.
“You’ve got the tap on, which is new supply, you’ve got the bath, which is the number of stock, and you’ve got the plug, which is right to buy abolition. We need to turn the tap on more and we need to either put the plug in, or dramatically narrow the outflow.” - Research participant
Prevent future and repeat homelessness
To prevent future homelessness, participants proposed bolstering the welfare system by permanently tying LHA rates to the 30th percentile of local rents, thereby making private rented sector (PRS) housing more affordable. Further, the benefit cap and two-child limit have the adverse effect of pushing people into homelessness; they must both be scrapped.
In addition to these welfare changes, the private rental market needs reform to give people more security in their tenancies by assessing the need for rent controls. These changes will help people find tenancies and keep them, thereby avoiding being pushed into temporary accommodation. Preventative support should also be directed at the known key pathways into homelessness, including domestic abuse and the asylum system.
“People who may not have even thought about ever being at risk of homelessness 5 or 10 years ago are suddenly finding themselves in a situation where the landlords are taking advantage of the ability to just increase rents in line with what’s happening all across the country. It’s leaving people in a situation where they are falling into arrears and are then at risk of losing their tenancy….So I think that policy makers should be focusing on rent control for private rented housing” - Research participant
Improve standards in TA
“There’s regulation out there, but somehow or another, temporary accommodation is always exempted from it” - Research participant
We know standards in temporary accommodation are often appalling. There is currently a lack of enforceable standards for temporary accommodation, leaving residents with little in the way of rights to complain about poor conditions. In the short-term, the Decent Homes Standard should include TA. Longer-term, a new act of parliament is needed to establish standards specifically for temporary accommodation, as this will give residents the best means to complain about poor conditions. This legislation should establish an independent regulator of TA to make the standards enforceable.
“I have four children and I’m together in one room with the four…. My kids don’t have space to play… it's affecting my mental health as well as that of the children" - Research participant
“The whole pillow part of (my) mattress is covered with mould, so I’m not sleeping on the bed. Me and my son, we are sleeping on the floor…I thought that we are getting sick, maybe of the mould from the washroom and kitchen, but actually it’s in the blanket and it’s in the mattress as well. So it’s everywhere.” - Research participant
Better support for homeless households
Out of area (OOA) placements cause devastating disruption for those in TA. While people remain out of area, the impact on households should be mitigated by: 1) employing a notification system which ensures support services are notified when a household becomes homeless; 2) signposting people toward services; and 3) subsidising travel for anyone experiencing homelessness.
“My old GP removed my name and my son’s name from their record. Now when my son actually got sick and we needed support, I have to find another GP. Now this GP is not ready to take my name in because they say you are already registered [with the original GP]” - Research participant
A new ring-fenced budget is needed for housing related services, which can fund accommodation based support, homeless hubs with services under one roof, and a recruitment drive for well-trained housing officers on better pay. Temporary accommodation that is run by local authorities would enable better oversight of the support offered to households.
Thank you and call to action
We’re grateful for the time and commitment all our research participants have given to this project over the last year. All are experts in different parts of the system; together they provide a powerful testament to the obstacles that hold us back from making sure temporary accommodation is a positive asset that provides relief at a time of need. We agree with the suggestions made here and urge policymakers, local authorities, housing providers, and those working on the frontline of homelessness to read this report, and take action.
Together, we can shift the system from one of crisis to one of care.
