Prevention of homelessness duties: consultation

Section 5: Questions on the PRG proposals on prevention of homelessness duties for people with lived or living experience of housing crisis, homelessness or risk of homelessness

We are interested to hear of your lived or living experience of housing crisis and homelessness, and how and when you believe your homelessness may have been or could be prevented. We are also interested in what you think about our plans to introduce prevention of homelessness duties through legislation.

The purpose of including this section is to ensure the consultation is informed by the views of people with lived or living experience of homelessness, but people with this experience may also wish to complete other parts of this consultation.

Please answer any of the following questions that are applicable to you:

About your experiences

Q97. When you most recently or previously became homeless were there any earlier actions that you think could have been taken by the council or other public bodies (health, education, justice services, etc.) that would have prevented it?

Q98. What was the main action taken by the council or other public bodies to help prevent your most recent or previous homelessness?

Q99. What other actions taken by the council or other public bodies do you think would have helped prevent your most recent or previous homelessness?

Q100. Please list some of the different services, homeless and otherwise, that you were in contact with in the time before you most recently or previously became homeless?

Q101. How long (if at all) before you most recently or previously became homeless did you start receiving support?

Q102. Did any services you were interacting with pick up on warning signs prior to your most recent or previous homelessness?

Duty on wider public bodies and landlords to prevent homelessness

There is a proposal that public bodies would need to identify or 'ask' whether the people they work with have a risk of homelessness, and then would have a different role and opportunities to 'act' on this information. In some cases the action required would be a referral to the local authority.

Q103. Do you agree with the proposal for a new duty to 'ask and act' about homelessness for public bodies such as health, justice, education, etc.?

Q104. Do you think such a duty on public bodies would have made a difference to your experiences, and do you think it could have prevented your most recent or previous homelessness?

Prevention of homelessness legislation

Q105. There are proposals for making changes to the law so that action to prevent homelessness needs to be taken up to six months before you may become homeless. Do you agree with this approach? Would it have helped prevent your most recent or previous homelessness?

Q106. How would you know if you are 6 months away from homelessness, and how would you know where to go for help?

Q107. There are proposals for making changes to the law so that local authorities can prevent or resolve your homelessness by providing you with accommodation that is 'stable and suitable'? Do you have a view on this proposal?

Q108. Is there anything else you wish to add to the proposals in this consultation to change the law on preventing homelessness based on your lived or living experience of homelessness?