It is nearly two years since the implementation of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017. To ensure its success the Government provided tens of millions of pounds for its implementation and there is not a week or month that goes by without an announcement from the Government on further funding being made available. Local authorities applied to become trailblazers and every local authority in England went on a recruitment drive as they sought to meet the demands of the Act and to help implement their prevention and relief strategies.
Two years on and it is now time for local authorities to look at the research into the implementation of the Act and carry out a full review into how they are delivering the demands of the Act, its effectiveness and whether they are getting value for money.
In October 2019 the MHCLG consultation into the implementation of the Act closed after a three month period and we await the results of this. We are also waiting for the MHCLG's own research - carried out by ICF - into the effectiveness of the implementation of the Act to be announced. We hope to have the results in March 2020, ICF will be at the London Homelessness Conference 2020 detailing their research and the results of the previous research into the effectiveness of the Trailblazer programme.
Other research can also be found. The Local Government Association often carries out research and in December 2019 produced 'Making homelessness strategies happen: ensuring accountability and deliverability'.
The time to REVIEW has come.
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