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Ending Homelessness
21 October 2025
Lead MP
Bob Blackman
Harrow East
Con
Responding Minister
Alison McGovern
Tags
Housing
Word Count: 14192
Other Contributors: 24
At a Glance
Bob Blackman raised concerns about ending homelessness in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key Requests to Government:
The lead MP asks the Minister when the Government will publish and deliver its promised cross-Government strategy for homelessness and confirms that the interministerial group will continue to meet regularly under the Secretary of State's chairmanship. He also suggests his private Member’s Homelessness Prevention Bill as a vehicle to support this work.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
The debate addresses the moral and practical crisis of homelessness in the UK. Each day, over 4,600 people wake up on the streets without certainty about where they will sleep that night. More than 132,000 households live in temporary accommodation with constant instability, and more than 172,000 children go to school knowing their accommodation is substandard and insecure. Local authorities are spending nearly £5 million every day on poor-quality temporary housing.
Adam Dance
LD
Yeovil
Shared several stories highlighting complex legal positions and high drug activity at shared accommodation causing homelessness. Urged investment in drug treatment, mental health hubs, community centres, and police officers.
Acknowledged the importance of reflecting housing costs in poverty indices, committed to working on planning officers and Renters’ Rights Bill issues.
St Ives
Addressed the contrast between £500 million provided through small business rate relief in Cornwall to holiday home owners and the needs of those who are homeless. He also asked about housing benefit subsidy loss when people are put into bed-and-breakfast accommodation.
Bob Blackman
Con
Ealing Central and Acton
Thanked the Minister for her response, acknowledged 18 speeches and four interventions highlighting debate's importance. Emphasised the need to build on the Everyone In programme used during COVID to address homelessness. Noted that existing laws prevent local authorities from pushing homeless individuals far away from their homes but stressed a need for a coherent cross-Government strategy.
Clive Jones
LD
Wokingham
Highlighted issues with Local Housing Allowance being frozen despite rising rents, leading to housing benefit not reflecting real costs. Stressed the need for a system that supports people rather than leaving them behind.
Dave Robertson
Lab
Lichfield
Brought domestic abuse into the conversation, noting it is the leading cause of homelessness for women in this country.
Emily Darlington
Lab
Milton Keynes Central
Agreed that supporting people from rough sleeping into solo accommodation involves a continuum of support, including trauma-based support at its heart.
Gareth Bacon
Con
Orpington
Supports the Government’s shared desire to end homelessness but criticises the lack of a cross-Government strategy. He also highlights concerns over the Renters’ Rights Bill and its impact on housing supply.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Asks the Minister to meet representatives from Centrepoint, which looks after homeless young people.
Joe Morris
Lab
Hexham
Asked the hon. Member if he could give way during his speech.
Jonathan Brash
Lab
Hartlepool
Asked about the issue of community and whether out-of-area placements should be ended to solve homelessness effectively.
Asked for a timeline for out-of-area placement review and requested meetings with Eastbourne borough council and Brighton and Hove city council.
Kim Johnson
Lab
Liverpool Riverside
Emphasised the need for wraparound care to meet a variety of needs and prevent homelessness, highlighting the disproportionate impact on black communities.
Liam Conlon
Lab
Beckenham and Penge
In Bromley, nearly 2,000 households are in temporary accommodation, often placed out of borough due to the failure to invest in new homes by the Conservative council. Welcomed the Minister to her place and asked for a fair funding review that fully reflects housing costs and the impact of homelessness in London.
Lillian Jones
Lab
Kilmarnock and Loudoun
She expressed anger over the rise in homelessness and child poverty in Scotland, attributing it to the SNP's cuts to the affordable homes budget by £200 million. She noted that over 34,000 households were assessed as homeless or at risk.
Gregory Campbell
DUP
East Londonderry
The hon. Member acknowledges that the key to solving homelessness is expanding lower-cost, good-quality social housing.
Wolverhampton North East
Discussed homelessness rates in Wolverhampton, noting over 600 children growing up in temporary accommodation and sharing a story of community support for someone who was homeless.
Nadia Whittome
Lab
Nottingham East
Called for a mass public house building programme of homes for social rent and the implementation of rent controls to address no-fault evictions. Emphasised the need for more permanent shelters and wraparound support.
Paula Barker
Lab
Liverpool Wavertree
Secured the debate and co-chairs the all-party parliamentary group for ending homelessness.
Rachael Maskell
Ind
York Central
She highlighted York's tradition of social reform and the city council's leadership in addressing homelessness. She discussed the need for a person-centred, trauma-informed pathway to support individuals out of homelessness.
Rachel Blake
Lab/Co-op
Cities of London and Westminster
She acknowledged that homelessness is a significant issue in the centre of London. She highlighted that there were 2,612 people living on the streets in Westminster and 878 in the City of London last year.
Salford
Called for local authorities to have power, funding and freedom to build social homes. Advocated lifting shackles from council borrowing rules and rebuilding capacity in planning departments.
Sandra Osborne
SDLP
Antrim North
In Northern Ireland, 7,600 households were presented as homeless in 2024-25 with 67% accepted as statutory homeless and living in temporary accommodation. The cost is £39 million.
Shockat Adam
Ind
Leicester South
Asked if being homeless should prevent people from using primary care services such as GP and dental practices, highlighting the need for government support.
Government Response
Alison McGovern
The Minister for Local Government and Homelessness
Government Response
Thanked the proposers for bringing this business to the House and noted that 17 Back Benchers contributed. Announced £84 million additional funding, bringing total investment to over £1 billion. Mentioned plans to decriminalise rough sleeping by repealing the Vagrancy Act 1824. Discussed local authority housing fund for better accommodation and a multi-year funding settlement for councils. Promised to publish the long-term homelessness strategy later in the year. Discussed the fair funding review, importance of housing costs in poverty indices, Renters’ Rights Bill progress, supported housing strategies, emergency accommodation reduction pilots with £8 million investment.
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Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy
About Westminster Hall Debates
Westminster Hall debates are a chance for MPs to raise important issues affecting their constituents and get a response from a government minister. Unlike Prime Minister's Questions, these debates are more in-depth and collaborative. The MP who secured the debate speaks first, other MPs can contribute, and a minister responds with the government's position.