Tackling homelessness is a complex issue with no single solution, and whilst we do not collect data specifically on the number of people who are rough sleeping without tents or other cover, we are determined to help the most vulnerable in society.<\/p>
That is why we are providing £1 billion up to 2020 to reduce all forms of homelessness and rough sleeping, and introducing the most ambitious legislative reform in decades through the Homelessness Reduction Act to ensure people get support sooner.<\/p>
We are providing £28 million to pilot a Housing First approach in three major regions of England. The pilots will support some of the most entrenched rough sleepers off the streets and help them to end their homelessness. The recently established Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Reduction Taskforce will first deliver a cross - Government strategy to halve rough sleeping by 2022 and eliminate it altogether by 2027. However, it will also drive action to reduce wider homelessness and will have within its remit issues such as prevention and affordability.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4282", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-22T17:33:07.57Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sleeping Rough"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have made a recent estimate of the number of homeless people sleeping outside without tents or other cover; and what plans they have to eliminate such homelessness.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2533", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Birt"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Birt"} ], "uin" : "HL4452"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818585", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818585/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs) enable a local housing authority to put an empty property back into use. The property must have been empty for at least two years and be a blight on the local neighbourhood. It is for local housing authorities to decide when to use these powers and Government does not collect data on the number of EDMOs that have been issued. The number of empty homes is at its lowest since records began. In May 2010 over 300,000 homes in England had been standing empty for longer than 6 months. As of November 2017 the number of long-term empty properties had fallen to 206,236. There are no current plans to make any changes to the way in which EDMOs operate.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4282", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-16T17:55:22.117Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Empty Dwelling Management Orders"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent estimate they have made of the number of Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs); what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of EDMOs; and whether they have any proposals to change (1) the regulations relating to EDMOs, and (2) the way in which EDMOs operate in practice, in order to increase their ease of use.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2569", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Greaves"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Greaves"} ], "uin" : "HL4462"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818592", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818592/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
I refer the Noble Lord to my answer of 19 December to PQ HL 1281, following which a note setting out the action the then Government took in response to the coroner's recommendations following the fire at Lakanal House has been placed in the Library of the House.<\/p>
I would also refer the Noble Lord to the Secretary of State's statement made on 18 December, which I repeated on the same day. The Government is now working with industry experts to complete work on clarifying the approved documents on fire safety.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4282", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-16T17:54:42.54Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "High Rise Flats: Fire Prevention"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government when the review of fire safety regulations and precautions, which arose from the fire at Lakanal House in south London in 2009, will be published.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2018", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Hylton"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Hylton"} ], "uin" : "HL4469"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818593", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818593/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Statistics on vacant dwellings in England, are published in the Department\u2019s live table 615 (attached) which is available at the following link. This table shows the annual totals of all empty homes, those vacant longer than six months and of vacant dwellings in the local authority, housing association and other public sector tenures.<\/p>
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants<\/a><\/p> The number of long term empty homes is substantially lower than when records began. Long-term empty homes are those dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for over six months. In October 2009, there were 316,251 long term homes in England and this had fallen to 200,145 by October 2016.<\/p> Figures are not directly comparable for Private Registered Providers (Housing Association) and local authority dwellings. Figures for March 2016, show there were 11,482 long term vacant Private Registered Providers dwellings and 22,928 local authority dwellings (long and short term).<\/p> As to steps being taken to bring structurally sound dwellings back to use, I refer to my answer to PQ 3618283/ UIN HL4471.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4282", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth"}
, "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818593/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "180110 live table 615 - HL4470.xls"}
, "title" : "Live table 615"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-23T17:48:59.167Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Empty Property"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the total number of empty dwellings in England; how many of those dwellings are owned by (1) housing associations, (2) local authorities, and (3) private owners; and what steps are being taken to bring structurally sound dwellings back into use.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2018", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Hylton"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Hylton"}
], "uin" : "HL4470"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818594", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818594/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The number of long term empty homes remains substantially lower than when records began. Long-term empty homes are those dwellings which have been unoccupied and substantially unfurnished for over six months. At May 2010 over 300,000 homes in England had been standing empty for longer than 6 months. As of November 2017 the number of long term empty properties had fallen to 206,236.<\/p> Authorities may charge a premium on those dwellings that have been empty and substantially unfurnished for more than 2 years. There were 60,900 dwellings on the 11 September 2017 that were empty and subject to the Empty Homes Premium. A premium can be charged on their council tax because the dwelling has been empty for more than 2 years. Not all authorities charge a premium, and these figures are based on the 288 out of 326 local authorities that charged a premium.<\/p> Local authorities have powers and strong incentives to tackle empty homes, and through the New Homes Bonus they earn the same financial reward for bringing an empty home back into use as building a new one.<\/p> In addition, the Chancellor recently announced proposals to strengthen the powers available to local authorities to tackle empty homes. Local authorities will be able to charge a 100 per cent council tax premium (currently 50 per cent) to homes that have been empty for more than two years.<\/p> In the housing White Paper, the Government restated its commitment to continue to support local authorities to encourage efficient use of our existing stock, making best use of homes that are long-term empty to increase the supply of housing. The housing white paper can be accessed (attached) at the following link:<\/p> https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fixing-our-broken-housing-market<\/a><\/p> The Government believes this approach strikes the right balance between encouraging better use of the existing housing stock and having no unintended consequences.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4282", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth"}
, "attachment" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818594/answer/attachment/1", "fileName" : {"_value" : "180117 Fixing our broken housing market - HL4471.pdf"}
, "title" : "Broken Housing market"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-22T17:35:25.027Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Empty Property"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of dwellings that have been vacant for over (1) six months, and (2) two years; and what measures they are taking, including in conjunction with local authorities, to return empty dwellings to occupation.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/2018", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Hylton"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Hylton"}
], "uin" : "HL4471"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818611", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818611/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Under the Local Government Act 2003, local authorities have the freedom to borrow and invest, without government consent, provided that their borrowing is affordable. This is known as the Prudential Framework. Local authorities can borrow from the Public Works Loan Board to fund the construction of social housing. However, this is only where they have headroom to do so under the Housing Revenue Account borrowing caps and provided that any such borrowing is prudential.<\/p> We have listened to local authorities who asked for additional borrowing to build more housing. We recently announced that we will raise the Housing Revenue Account borrowing cap by a total of up to £1 billion in areas of high affordability pressure for local authorities who are ready to start building new homes. Local authorities will be able to bid for increases in their caps from 2019-20 to 2021/22.<\/p> This will complement measures to support local authorities to build more homes through a longer term rent deal that provides a stable investment environment to deliver new homes. This is alongside an additional £2 billion to deliver more affordable housing for social rent in areas of acute affordability pressure. This will help to deliver the new generation of council house building which the Prime Minister announced recently.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4282", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth"}
}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-16T17:53:43.607Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Local Government: Borrowing"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government why local authorities can borrow from the Public Works Loan Board to buy commercial property but not to fund the construction of social housing.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/3869", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Myners"}
}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Myners"}
], "uin" : "HL4488"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818726", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818726/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " The Housing Infrastructure Fund launched on 4 July 2017 will unlock up to 100,000 new homes by supporting the delivery of vital physical infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, energy networks and other utilities. We are currently assessing proposals in partnership with all key stakeholders and will announce successful schemes over the coming months.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4007", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dominic Raab"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Esher and Walton"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dominic Raab"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-16T10:46:02.747Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Housing Infrastructure Fund"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding has been allocated from the Housing Infrastructure Fund to each NUTS 1 region in each year since that fund's creation.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1533", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Kingston upon Hull North"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Diana Johnson"}
], "uin" : "121490"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818738", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818738/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " I am committed to tackling all forms of leasehold abuse and promoting fairness and transparency for the growing number of leaseholders. On 21 December 2017, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (formerly the Department for Communities and Local Government) published its response to the consultation on \u2018Tackling unfair practices in the leasehold market\u2019. (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/tackling-unfair-practices-in-the-leasehold-market<\/a>).<\/p> This set out a range of measures to crackdown on unfair leasehold practices, including introducing legislation to restrict ground rents for newly established long leases of houses and flats to a peppercorn (zero financial value). This will apply to new and non-new build properties.<\/p> A full impact assessment will be published ahead of legislation being brought forward.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4007", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dominic Raab"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Esher and Walton"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Dominic Raab"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-01-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "121504"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-01-15T17:50:40.617Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "7"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Communities and Local Government"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2018-01-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Ground Rent: Leasehold"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to tackle the issue of exploitative ground rent charges being levied on leaseholders of non-new build properties.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1566", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Daniel Kawczynski"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Shrewsbury and Atcham"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Daniel Kawczynski"}
], "uin" : "121502"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818740", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Communities and Local Government"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/818740/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "