National Audit Office: Investigation into the housing of rough sleepers during the COVID-19 pandemic
National Audit Office for the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (14.01.21)
This investigation is part of a programme of work we are undertaking to support Parliament’s scrutiny of the government’s response to COVID-19. In this report, we set out the steps taken by the Department in rehousing rough sleepers in England during the pandemic, focusing particularly on the steps taken at the outset of the pandemic; the information held by the Department on those at risk of rough sleeping; and subsequent steps that the Department has taken to provide long-term accommodation to those at risk of rough sleeping.
Our report primarily covers the period between March and November 2020. Fieldwork included interviews with key staff from the Department. We also consulted a range of local authorities and voluntary sector organisations, as well as academics and other stakeholders with experience of delivering homeless services.