Awaab’s Law will extend to temporary accommodation, minister announces
Awaab’s Law will be extended to temporary accommodation, the homelessness minister has announced.
Speaking at the Crisis Homelessness Summit in London, Rushanara Ali said the government is planning to consult on “how best to apply Awaab’s Law to temporary accommodation”.
Ms Ali also announced an extra £30m funding for rough sleeping winter pressures, on top of the £30m already announced.
Awaab’s Law, named after two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died from prolonged exposure to mould in a housing association flat, will force social landlords to respond to hazards within strict timeframes.
The government, which is planning to introduce the law in October for social landlords, is also planning to extend it to the private rented sector.
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On Tuesday, Ms Ali said those plans also extend to temporary accommodation. She told delegates at the summit that the government is “taking action to improve standards across the housing sector, which will include temporary accommodation”.
Ms Ali said: “We must ensure that where homelessness cannot be prevented, temporary accommodation provides safe, decent housing with as much stability for children as possible.
“So the Renters’ [Rights] Bill will extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector, which will set clear legal expectations about time frames within which landlords in the private rented sector must make homes safe where they contain serious hazards.
“And we plan to consult on how best to apply Awaab’s Law to temporary accommodation.”
Through the bill, the government has also introduced powers to apply the Decent Homes Standard to the private renter sector.
“Included in that clause is a power to bring temporary accommodation into the scope of the Decent Homes Standard. The intention is that the Decent Homes Standard should apply to temporary accommodation subject to consultation on the detail of the new standard,” Ms Ali said.
The minister said she was “pleased to announce, hot off the press”, the additional £30m for rough sleeping winter pressures, taking the total for this winter to £60m.
“The funding will go directly to areas facing the highest homelessness pressures to give councils the resources to step in early and keep people in their homes before eviction notices are served or support people off the street into accommodation,” she added.
Ms Ali also explained that the government has to address the growing use of B&B, nightly let accommodation for families experiencing homelessness.
She said: “We all know what it means for families to be placed in bed and breakfast accommodation without appropriate facilities, without cooking facilities, without space to play, or even appropriate space to be able to sleep at night. That is not acceptable.
“So I want to see the use of emergency accommodation for homeless families reduced and to eliminate the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families other than in genuine emergency.”
Earlier in her speech, Ms Ali said the numbers of children in temporary accommodation and people sleeping rough are an “absolute scandal”.
“We must address this crisis and deliver long-term solutions,” she said.
“Successive years of failure to invest in local preventative services has seen far too many people facing homelessness and forced into temporary accommodation. So from 2026-27, we will further consider funding across all forms of homelessness.”
Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, said in his opening speech that new research from the charity and the London School of Economics found there are 56,000 households in the worst form of temporary accommodation, such as B&Bs and hostels.
He said council spending on such accommodation in England is set to reach £1.2bn by 2027 without government intervention.
Mr Downie said “wherever you look”, you will “look at a system which is failing”. However, he said he has “high hopes” for the government’s homelessness strategy because it will include all kinds of homelessness and will come alongside a long-term housing plan and a child poverty strategy.
He called for a “bold plan”, adding: “We’re ready to get behind a long-term, bold, innovative, challenging strategy on ending homelessness.
“But government, we need you to do some things. First of all, we need you to lead with that purpose. Set a bold target and we will all get behind. Give councils back the tools to meet that target and then the demand that they do.
“We know because we’ve spoken to councils in recent weeks that they are asking for more accountability. So let’s give it to them.”
Mr Downie urged the government to “bat away the far right”.
“Restricting access to housing as a way to control immigration just creates homelessness and seeds division and hate.
“Let’s instead proudly help everyone who is homeless in this country,” he said.
Mr Downie also urged the government to “empower” regional mayors to make “different decisions”.
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, spoke at the summit via a video link. He called for the government to adopt a national Housing First philosophy and for it to set a target of delivering 500,000 new social homes over the rest of parliament, while Right to Buy should be removed from those new homes.
“Because at least that level will be needed if we’re to hit the 1.5 million target,” he said.
Charities respond to extra £30m for rough sleeping
Crisis chief executive Matt Downie said: “With homelessness at record levels, we are pleased to see the Government providing additional funding for councils.
“The situation is incredibly serious and many councils are at breaking point. A shortage of affordable and social homes combined with rising rents has forced thousands of households into poverty and homelessness. For too long councils have had to rely on costly temporary accommodation, pushing their budgets to the limit.
“As well as funding to tackle the current emergency, it’s vital the Westminster government invests long-term to address the root causes of the problem.
“We look forward to working with ministers to deliver a bold and ambitious cross-departmental strategy to end all forms of homelessness, alongside delivering the number of social homes needed to ensure everyone has a safe place to call home.”
Sean Palmer, director at St Mungo’s, said: “The government’s announcement of an extra £30m in funding is welcome news at a time when the numbers of people experiencing homelessness, and at risk of it, is continuing to rise.
“This funding will help ensure the growing number of people who find themselves on the streets can be offered the vital support they need and others can be supported to prevent them from losing their homes in the first place.
“This funding is both much needed, given the current crisis, and a step in the right direction towards prevention.
“The upcoming homelessness strategy will be a key moment for the government to set out how we can work together to end rough sleeping, and all forms of homelessness, for good. St Mungo’s looks forward to working with them on it.”
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