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Homelessness Reduction Act 2017

Consolidated Text As Enacted Cited authorities 42 Cited in Amendments 26 Related
Vincent
JurisdictionUK Non-devolved
(1) Section 175 of the Housing Act 1996 (homelessness and threatened homelessness) is amended as follows.(2) In subsection (4) , for “28” substitute “ 56 ”.(3) After subsection (4) insert—
  • “(5) A person is also threatened with homelessness if—
  • (a) a valid notice has been given to the person under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 (orders for possession on expiry or termination of assured shorthold tenancy) in respect of the only accommodation the person has that is available for the person's occupation, and
  • (b) that notice will expire within 56 days.
a valid notice has been given to the person under section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 (orders for possession on expiry or termination of assured shorthold tenancy) in respect of the only accommodation the person has that is available for the person's occupation, andthat notice will expire within 56 days.
  • For section 179 of the Housing Act 1996 (duty of local housing authority to provide advisory services) substitute—
      (179) Duty of local housing authority in England to provide advisory services
    • “(1) Each local housing authority in England must provide or secure the provision of a service, available free of charge to any person in the authority's district, providing information and advice on—
    • (a) preventing homelessness,
    • (b) securing accommodation when homeless,
    • (c) the rights of persons who are homeless or threatened with homelessness, and the duties of the authority, under this Part,
    • (d) any help that is available from the authority or anyone else, whether under this Part or otherwise, for persons in the authority's district who are homeless or may become homeless (whether or not they are threatened with homelessness) , and
    • (e) how to access that help.
    • preventing homelessness,securing accommodation when homeless,the rights of persons who are homeless or threatened with homelessness, and the duties of the authority, under this Part,any help that is available from the authority or anyone else, whether under this Part or otherwise, for persons in the authority's district who are homeless or may become homeless (whether or not they are threatened with homelessness) , andhow to access that help.persons released from prison or youth detention accommodation,care leavers,former members of the regular armed forces,victims of domestic abuse,persons leaving hospital,persons suffering from a mental illness or impairment, andany other group that the authority identify as being at particular risk of homelessness in the authority's district.The authority may give to any person by whom the service is provided on behalf of the authority assistance by way of grant or loan.by permitting the person to use premises belonging to the authority,by making available furniture or other goods, whether by way of gift, loan or otherwise, andby making available the services of staff employed by the authority.In this section—
    • “care leavers” means persons who are former relevant children (within the meaning given by section 23C(1) of the Children Act 1989) ;
    • “domestic abuse” means—
      • (a) physical violence,
      • (b) threatening, intimidating, coercive or controlling behaviour, or
      • (c) emotional, financial, sexual or any other form of abuse,
      where the victim is associated with the abuser;
    • “financial abuse” includes—
      • (a) having money or other property stolen,
      • (b) being defrauded,
      • (c) being put under pressure in relation to money or other property, and
      • (d) having money or other property misused;
    • “hospital” has the same meaning as in the National Health Service Act 2006 (see section 275(1) of that Act) ;
    • “regular armed forces” means the regular forces as defined by section 374 of the Armed Forces Act 2006;
    • “youth detention accommodation” means—
      • (a) a secure children's home,
      • (b) a secure training centre,
      • (c) a secure college,
      • (d) a young offender institution,
      • (e) accommodation provided by or on behalf of a local authority for the purpose of restricting the liberty of children;
      • (f) accommodation provided for that purpose under section 82(5) of the Children Act 1989, or
      • (g) accommodation, or accommodation of a description, for the time being specified by order under section 107(1) (e) of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (youth detention accommodation for the purposes of detention and training orders) .
    (1) After section 189 of the Housing Act 1996, but before the heading after that section (duties to persons found to be homeless or threatened with homelessness) , insert—
      Duty to assess every eligible applicant's case and agree a plan
      (189A) Assessments and personalised plan
    • “(1) If the local housing authority are satisfied that an applicant is—
    • (a) homeless or threatened with homelessness, and
    • (b) eligible for assistance,
      • the authority must make an assessment of the applicant's case.
    homeless or threatened with homelessness, andeligible for assistance,the circumstances that caused the applicant to become homeless or threatened with homelessness,the housing needs of the applicant including, in particular, what accommodation would be suitable for the applicant and any persons with whom the applicant resides or might reasonably be expected to reside (“other relevant persons”) , andwhat support would be necessary for the applicant and any other relevant persons to be able to have and retain suitable accommodation.The authority must notify the applicant, in writing, of the assessment that the authority make.any steps the applicant is to be required to take for the purposes of securing that the applicant and any other relevant persons have and are able to retain suitable accommodation, andthe steps the authority are to take under this Part for those purposes.If the authority and the applicant reach an agreement, the authority must record it in writing.why they could not agree,any steps the authority consider it would be reasonable to require the applicant to take for the purposes mentioned in subsection (4) (a) , andthe steps the authority are to take under this Part for those purposes.The authority may include in a written record produced under subsection (5) or (6) any advice for the applicant that the authority consider appropriate (including any steps the authority consider it would be a good idea for the applicant to take but which the applicant should not be required to take) .The authority must give to the applicant a copy of any written record produced under subsection (5) or (6) .their assessment of the applicant's case, andthe appropriateness of any agreement reached under subsection (4) or steps recorded under subsection (6) (b) or (c) .the authority's assessment of any of the matters mentioned in subsection (2) changes, orthe authority's assessment of the applicant's case otherwise changes such that the authority consider it appropriate to do so,the authority must notify the applicant, in writing, that they consider the agreement or step is no longer appropriate,any failure, after the notification is given, to take a step that was agreed to in the agreement or recorded under subsection (6) (b) or (c) is to be disregarded for the purposes of this Part, and

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