Ministers’ Homelessness Prevention Plan Attacked

The government’s new homelessness strategy could flop because it does not contain any plans to penalise poorly performing councils.  Homelessness charities which have seen early drafts of the strategy warn that it concentrates on incentivising councils to prevent homelessness but does not contain a strategy for tackling those that continue to underperform.  An inter-departmental ministerial working group is drawing up the strategy to tackle the growing homelessness crisis. The group, made up of 16 ministers, including housing minister Grant Shapps and welfare minister Lord David Freud, has been in consultation with homelessness charities such as Shelter and Crisis ahead of publishing the final document in May. Read more on Inside Housing.