Morning, Tuesday, 17th November 2026
Online
This conference will examine next steps for tackling homelessness and halving rough sleeping in England, following the publication of the Government’s National Plan to End Homelessness. Areas for discussion include ways forward for prevention and early intervention, alongside supporting tenancy sustainment and housing stability for those at risk or experiencing homelessness, as well as practical coordination of funding, services, and enforcement - including a proposed statutory Duty to Collaborate for public bodies.
It will bring together stakeholders and policymakers to consider the targeting of funding announced by the Government for the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant and issues raised in the Funding arrangements for the Homelessness Prevention Grant from 2026/27 onwards consultation. The lifting of the two child benefit cap will be considered, looking further at the repeal of the Vagrancy Act 1824 via the Crime and Policing Act 2026 and the emphasis on support-led responses to street activity, with discussion also on the new 10-year £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme, including funding, delivery and potential impact on housing supply.
Immediate issues around delivery will be examined, including local commissioning and outreach, the use of data and metrics for prevention, and the capacity for enforcement and advice. Attendees will consider implications following the abolition of Section 21, as well as looking ahead at implementation of Awaab’s Law and the Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector, pressures on temporary accommodation, and practical approaches to expanding Housing First and similar models across local services.
Priorities for supporting community and voluntary engagement will be discussed, including considerations for procurement models, and availability of funding through packages such as the Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund. The role of recent innovation programmes targeting rough sleeping pressures, and opportunities to expand trauma‑informed, community‑led approaches will also be discussed.
Looking longer-term, discussion is expected on alignment of the National Plan to End Homelessness with government ambitions to tackle violence against women and girls and reduce child poverty. Consideration will also be given to wider coordination with housing supply and welfare policy, securing accountability and transparency in outcomes, and the balance between national frameworks and local discretion.
Key stakeholder priorities will be considered, including sustainability of funding for councils and providers, tackling inequalities and meeting the needs of older people and other intersectional groups, as well as frameworks for coordination across health, employment and justice services to help people stay housed.
Overall areas for discussion include:
- policy: implementation of the National Plan - implications of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 - Section 21 abolition - Decent Homes Standard and Awaab’s Law enforcement
- coordination: cross-government homelessness strategy - housing supply, welfare, and public health policy - setting measurable outcomes and responsibilities - duties of landlords, local authorities and tenants
- funding: arrangements for the Homelessness Prevention Grant - allocation mechanisms and local flexibility - accountability and long-term certainty for councils and providers - Fair Funding Review 2.0 implications
- prevention and early intervention: use of Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant allocations - support and tenancy sustainment - avenues for improving support for domestic abuse survivors
- affordable housing: Social and Affordable Homes Programme implementation - addressing planning, infrastructure and workforce constraints - assessing grant rates and regional distribution
- Vagrancy Act repeal: progress toward support-led responses under the Crime and Policing Act 2026 - enforcement alongside care pathways - implications for policing, courts and local services
- Housing First and supported accommodation: expanding models for people with complex needs - sustainable funding options - continuity of care and local capacity
- temporary accommodation: managing pressures from record numbers of households in TA - safeguarding and maintaining standards - implications for children and family outcomes
- delivery: addressing capacity gaps and variations in practice - national frameworks and local discretion - transparency and consistency in outcomes measurement
- vulnerable groups:
- protecting and meeting the needs of older people and marginalised communities - key lessons and early findings from the Women and Equalities Committee inquiry on Black homelessness
- assessing fairness in local connection criteria - equitable access to housing and support - child poverty reduction - reducing violence against women and girls facing homelessness
