Commons Sense

House of Commons · General Debate

Housing and Homelessness (Local Accommodation Duty)

08 March 2021 · 1 other contributor

Opened by Karen Buck Lab Westminster North

Housing

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Karen Buck raised concerns about housing and homelessness (local accommodation duty) in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.

Key points

  • Ms Buck highlighted the traumatic impact of homelessness on individuals and families over the past 30 years.
  • Local authorities are required to secure accommodation for homeless households within their own district, but this is often not adhered to in practice.
  • In Westminster, 55% of homeless households were accommodated outside the borough the previous year.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Karen Buck Lab Westminster North

Ms Buck highlighted the traumatic impact of homelessness on individuals and families, noting that over the past 30 years, successive waves of people have faced housing crises due to a lack of stable, affordable social housing. She pointed out that local authorities are required to secure accommodation within their own district but this is often not adhered to in practice, with many councils placing homeless households outside their boroughs. In her borough of Westminster alone, 55% of the 2,217 homeless households were accommodated outside the borough last year. She emphasised that placing people out-of-borough increases pressure on local housing stock and other services, and has severe impacts on physical and mental health, educational achievement, and community ties.

Other contributors (1)
  • Karen Buck Lab Westminster North

    Ms Buck shared the experiences of constituents who have been moved to temporary accommodation far from their homes, causing significant stress and anxiety. She cited examples where children are required to travel long distances for school, parents are separated from elderly relatives they care for, and individuals face unfamiliar environments that exacerbate mental health issues.

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