Government action plan aims to halve homelessness among care leavers

The Government has published an action plan aimed at halving the proportion of care-experienced people who are homeless, with new duties on local authorities to help prevent young people from becoming homeless as they leave care.

The Care Leaver Homelessness Reduction Action Plan, launched at the start of Care Leavers Month 2026, sets out measures intended to improve housing support and prevent young people from losing assistance at the point they move into independent living.

Under the new rules, councils will be required to publish plans for meeting care leavers’ accommodation needs, work with local housing partners and set out the support available to young people at risk of homelessness in their local offer for care leavers.

Certain care leavers under the age of 25 will also no longer be able to be found intentionally homeless – a change intended to remove a barrier to accessing assistance that the Government says fails to reflect their particular circumstances. Wider rules mean care leavers will also no longer have to meet local connection tests to access social housing.

Children’s Minister Josh MacAlister said: “Supporting young people who have been in care is a vital part of our national mission to end rough sleeping.

“Too many care leavers step into adulthood without a strong support network around them, and homelessness can be one of the tragic consequences.

“We’re changing children’s social care from top to bottom, making enduring relationships the focus of the system and expanding support for care leavers to help ensure they have a place to call home.”

The plan also encourages councils to publish local targets for preventing youth homelessness and explain what support is available. Areas identified as being at higher risk will receive targeted advice and support, overseen by Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) youth homelessness advisers.

The number of care leavers aged 18 to 24 in England has risen to 86,890, an increase of almost 10 per cent in two years. They remain over-represented in the homelessness system.

Minister for Homelessness Florence Eshalomi said: “Our commitment to tackling homelessness is about so much more than offering a bed to sleep in, or a roof over someone’s head: it’s about preventing people from ever reaching that point in the first place.

“That’s why we’re launching this plan to make sure young people leaving care don’t face a cliff edge just when they need support most.

“These measures will give care leavers the support and opportunities they need as they move out of care and start their adult lives.”

The action plan brings together guidance and resources for local authorities and their partners, including a new guide on planning housing pathways for care leavers, updated guidance on joint working between housing and children’s services, and a youth homelessness prevention toolkit. A new chapter on young people, including those with care experience, has also been added to the Homelessness Code of Guidance for local authorities.

The Government has also announced a new £3m Test, Learn, Grow programme focused on preventing youth homelessness. Updated guidance on social housing allocations is due in 2027.

The measures build on the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026. The Staying Close programme, which helps care leavers find and maintain a safe home while accessing health, education and employment support up to the age of 25, is currently operating in 50 areas. It will become a national duty on councils for care leavers up to 25 from 2029.

From autumn 2027, government departments and public bodies will also become corporate parents, with a duty to work together with councils to support care leavers.

The plan follows the Government’s Review of early deaths of care leavers, published on 25 August, which highlighted the isolation many young people experience when they leave care.

Seyi Obakin, Chief Executive Officer at Centrepoint, welcomed the Government’s focus on care leavers, saying: “We warmly welcome the Government’s spotlight on care leavers as they continue to face a greater risk of experiencing homelessness.

“We know that the number of care leavers aged 18–20 assessed as facing homelessness in England increased by 37% over the past five years. These young people often leave care without the safety net of a family or supportive network around them and need help to transition into adulthood.

“Roughly 48% of the young people we support have been in care. They often have no choice but to deal with the challenges and responsibilities of living independently at a young age, so the launch of this new action plan will help focus efforts and provide an important opportunity to strengthen the support available to them.”

Obakin said the charity would work with the Government and its partners on implementation, adding that young people needed access to safe, stable and genuinely affordable housing alongside financial, practical and emotional support to sustain a home and build an independent life.

Louise Mumcular, Policy Officer at Coram, also welcomed the plan, saying housing was the most common issue for which young people sought support from the charity’s Coram Voice advocacy service.

She said: “The commitments announced today are important steps in the right direction. We particularly welcome the government’s recognition that no young person should become homeless as a result of leaving care.

“Ambitious national targets will only be achieved if they are backed by sufficient investment, consistent implementation across local areas, access to suitable and affordable housing, and meaningful support that helps young people sustain tenancies and thrive.”

Mumcular highlighted the importance of support at key transition points, including when young people move home, leave education or training, or experience a breakdown in living arrangements. She said every care-experienced young person must have “not just a roof over their head, but a safe, stable and supportive home”.