The government today, 28 September 2026, confirmed it will introduce amendments to the Social Housing Bill. These additional measures are intended to help retain more social homes, strengthen homelessness prevention, and ensure social housing is allocated to those most in need.
Under the Bill, councils will receive new powers to refer homeless households to private registered providers of social housing. This aims to improve collaboration between housing associations and councils, reduce reliance on temporary accommodation, and enhance access to housing for those in greatest need.
A new disposals notification requirement will also be introduced, giving councils and other social housing providers a better opportunity to purchase social homes before they are sold outside the sector. The government intends to extend this notification period to eight weeks, helping to retain existing housing stock.
Furthermore, a new Duty to Collaborate will mandate public services to work more closely to identify individuals at risk of homelessness. They will be required to consider actions within their existing responsibilities to help prevent homelessness.