This document provides an overview of housing and homelessness in the UK. It discusses the key sources of housing and homelessness law, including the Housing Act of 1996 and the Homelessness Act of 2002. The document defines homelessness under UK law and outlines situations that could constitute being homeless, such as temporarily living with others or in shelters. It notes that young people, older adults, those with health issues or disabilities are particularly vulnerable to homelessness. Common causes of homelessness include eviction, unemployment, relationship breakdown, and disasters. Statistics provided indicate over 74,000 UK households were in temporary accommodation in 2008 and the most common reason for homelessness is no longer being able to live with family or friends.

1. Housing & Homelessness
A Brief Overview

2. Sources of Law - Housing
• Housing Act 1996:
This forms the substantive part of current legislation and
contains eight sections:
• Part 1 – Social Rented Sector
• Part 2 – Houses in Multiple Occupation
• Part 3 – Landlord and Tenant
• Part 4 – Housing Benefit
• Part 5 – Conduct of Tenants
• Part 6 – Allocation of Housing Property
• Part 7 - Homelessness
• Part 8 – Miscellaneous & General Provisions

3. Sources of Law - Homelessness
• The Homelessness Act 2002 introduced a
number of amendments to the 1996 Act
• Case Law – Decisions made by Courts and the
House of Lords impact on how the law is
interpreted and implemented
• Homelessness Code of Guidance to Local
Authorities ( July 2006 )

4. What is Homelessness?

5. Homelessness – What Does it
Mean?
• Homelessness means not having a home.
• A lot of people who are homeless don’t
sleep on the streets
• Even if you have a roof over your head
you can still be homeless

6. Homelessness – Legal Definition
• A person is homeless if:
• There is no accommodation that they are
entitled to occupy; or
• They have accommodation but it is not
reasonable for them to continue to occupy this
accommodation

7. What Situations Might Mean You
are Homeless?
• Temporarily staying with friends or family
• Staying in a Hostel or B&B accommodation
• Living in very overcrowded conditions
• At risk of violence or abuse in your current home
• Living in poor conditions that affect your health
• Living in a place where you have no legal right to stay
• Living somewhere that you can’t afford to pay for without
depriving yourself of basic essentials
• Being forced to live apart from your family because your
accommodation is not suitable

8. Who is Affected by Homelessness?
• Homelessness affects a wide variety of people. Some groups of
people are more vulnerable because they have fewer rights,
complex needs or are less able to cope by themselves;
• Young people leaving home for the first time
• Old people
• People with physical or mental health problems
• People with learning disabilities
• People on low benefits or incomes
• People leaving care
• People leaving prison
• Asylum seekers and refugees
• People who have a substance misuse issue

9. How Do People Become
Homeless?
• Being evicted by a landlord
• Losing employment
• Health problems
• Relationship breakdown
• Disasters such as flooding or fires

10. Homelessness Facts
• The 2009 annual estimate found that there were 464 people
sleeping rough in England on any single night.
• 85,000 households were officially recognised as newly homeless by
their local authority in England in 2008.
• 74,690 households in temporary accommodation (up to June 2008)
• 72% of acceptances are people with dependents or pregnant
women
• The main reason for a person or household becoming homeless is
that relatives or friends are no longer able to accommodate them
(35%)

11. Any Questions ?