A future without homelessness: What the new National Plan to End Homelessness could achieve

Homelessness is a persistent and growing issue. As in this year’s UK Housing Review, the homelessness system remains under significant strain across the UK, with rising statutory demand, greater dependence on temporary accommodation and increased rough sleeping. While the pace of homelessness has slowed somewhat compared to the post-pandemic surge, levels are still historically high. 

The government's National Plan to End Homelessness, backed by a £3.5 billion investment, aims to tackle the crisis head-on. If the plan's ambitious goals were achieved, here’s what the future could hold.

1. Halving rough sleeping

One of the core aims of the plan is to halve rough sleeping by the end of this parliament. If successful, this would mean fewer people forced to sleep on the streets, in parks or in cars. The emphasis would shift from reactive measures to preventative interventions, with more people being offered support to address cost of living and housing pressures before reaching crisis point.

Mental ill-health and substance use are key risk factors for rough sleeping, and often sit alongside other challenges. Official research conducted with 966 people who had slept rough in the last year found that  85 per cent of women and 65 per cent of men had three or more of the following experiences: homelessness, substance use problems, mental health issues, domestic abuse and interaction with the criminal justice system.

Addressing these challenges requires a holistic view and a multidisciplinary approach. New initiatives such as personalised budgets for rough sleepers are being trialled, aiming to improve people’s outcomes through financial support and increasing levels of autonomy. More established models such as Housing First have been shown to improve sustainability of housing tenancies and wellbeing, although not necessarily to reduce substance use. For these issues, tailored support and intensive case management models are more effective in increasing access to health services and reducing emergency healthcare usage.

2. Ending unlawful use of B&Bs for families

The plan also aims to end the unlawful use of bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation for families with children. B&Bs have long been seen as an inappropriate solution for temporary housing, especially for vulnerable families. In their place, more suitable temporary accommodation options would be available, ensuring families have access to safe and stable living conditions during their transition to permanent homes.

The Temporary Accommodation Network, jointly run between Campbell Tickell and Devonshires, highlights innovative practice among a range of organisations – from local authorities, housing associations, charities through to private companies using social equity investment to create more sustainable supply. Case studies are available to read online and include approaches to reducing the cost of nightly-paid accommodation, the use of modular homes to increase supply, tenancy support schemes for families with a history of evictions, and many others.

3. Prevention through collaboration and accountability

By introducing a ‘duty to collaborate’ between health, prison and housing teams, the plan seeks to ensure better coordination and early intervention for people at risk of homelessness. For example, people leaving hospitals or prisons would no longer be left without a housing plan. With stronger collaboration, homelessness could be prevented before it even begins.

Nationally, 10 per cent of people sleeping rough have recently left an institution, most commonly prison or asylum support. Avoiding this requires early action and community support. Models such as Critical Time Intervention – providing intensive case management during transitions – can improve housing stability and mental health.

4. Increasing housing supply

Another central element is the expansion of funding to help local authorities acquire and build more homes. By increasing the availability of social housing, the government would reduce reliance on the private rented sector. With more affordable homes, fewer people would be pushed into homelessness and spend less time in temporary accommodation. The impact of the government’s drive to achieve this is, of course, yet to be seen.

Will it succeed?

Some of the fundamental causes of homelessness remain. Wage stagnation, job insecurity and the inadequacy of the local housing allowance (an issue also covered in the Review), combined with rising living costs and rents, will persist as triggers of housing instability. Arguably, some of these are structural issues that go beyond the reach of a homelessness strategy, but the case remains that without a cross-departmental approach and ambitious, decisive action to prevent people falling into poverty, homelessness will continue. 

Similarly, a missed opportunity is the lack of a stronger focus on mental health support and addiction services for individuals at risk of homelessness, which are often critical factors in people’s ability to maintain their homes.

Despite this, the strategy is welcome, as is the additional investment to enable local action. Complementary legislation from the Renters' Rights Act to stop the use of Section 21 evictions will also support the goal of making homelessness rare and brief.

While challenges remain, this strategy is a step in the right direction towards more secure and stable housing for everyone.

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