Vulnerable people to have better access to social housing

New changes will come into force next month which will end the local connection rules for young care leavers and victims of domestic abuse to access social housing. 

Young people leaving care and domestic abuse survivors will now have better access to social housing, as they will become exempt from rules that restrict access to social housing for those that do not have a connection to the local area.

The change will apply to all councils in England, nearly 90 per cent of which currently use local connection criteria to determine who qualifies for social housing.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said:

“It breaks my heart to hear countless stories of people leaving the care system or fleeing an abusive relationship and not having a place they can truly call home. We’re rewriting the rules to help get them a roof over their heads and the security they deserve.

“Our changes will make sure these vulnerable groups do not face unfair barriers to safe and secure housing. This is backed by our commitment to secure the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, and through our Plan for Change we are going further and faster to make this a reality.”

Director of Policy and Prevention at Centrepoint, Balbir Kaur Chatrik said: “Removing this barrier will reduce homelessness and rough sleeping amongst care leavers and help them to thrive. 

“Care leavers are often extremely vulnerable young people and lack the support networks that many of us take for granted. Despite this they often find it a real struggle to access the stable housing they need to thrive because they lack a local connection. The government’s change will hopefully stop this practice and ensure young people can get the stable and affordable homes they deserve. 

“It’s also an important step towards ending youth homelessness and protecting the most vulnerable. Taken together with funding for prevention and housebuilding, this brings us a bit closer over the short- and long-term towards ensuring young people are getting the support they need.”