Restrictions lifted on social housing for care leavers and domestic abuse victims

Care leavers under 25 and victims of domestic abuse are to benefit from the removal of local connection rules.

The changes, which come into force next month on 10 July, will exempt both groups from rules that restrict access to social housing for those that do not have a connection to the local area.

Under the new rules, care leavers under the age of 25 and domestic abuse victims/survivors will no longer be unfairly penalised for not having a local connection.

The Government says this recognises the unique challenges they can face, such as transitioning out of care or fleeing an unsafe home.

The change will apply to all councils in England, of which nearly 90% currently use the criteria to determine who qualifies for social housing—and last year the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to local councils reminding them of their obligations to prioritise vulnerable groups for social housing.

“It breaks my heart to hear countless stories of people leaving the care system or fleeing an abusive relationship and not having a place they can truly call home,” Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner said. “We’re rewriting the rules to help get them a roof over their heads and the security they deserve.”

Additionally, the Government has pledged an extra £30 million this year –bringing the total available to £160m – for councils to help provide safe accommodation and support for domestic abuse survivors, as well as new proposed legislation to ensure young care leavers in the scope of the council’s corporate parenting duty have access to housing and cannot be considered ‘intentionally homeless’.

Previous figures showed a 54% increase in homelessness among young care leavers in the five years from 2019 to 2024. The number of care leavers aged 18-20 facing homelessness was also shown to have risen more than twice as fast as the overall number of homeless households, and fifteen times faster than the overall number of young people facing homelessness.

Become, a charity representing children in care and care leavers, has long campaigned on the issue of exempting the local area connection test for care leavers so they can bid for social housing in the area they were moved to when in care.

CEO of Become, Katharine Sacks-Jones said removing the local connection test will prevent forced moves, could help reduce homelessness and give care leavers a more positive start to adulthood.

“We welcome these new regulations that will allow more care leavers to access social housing where they are.

“Too many children in care are moved away from the people and places that matter to them and then made to move back to their local authority area once they turn 18 to access social housing support.”

Balbir Kaur Chatrik, Director of Policy and Prevention at Centrepoint, agreed that the move will reduce homelessness and rough sleeping amongst care leavers.

“Care leavers are often extremely vulnerable young people and lack the support networks that many of us take for granted. Despite this they often find it a real struggle to access the stable housing they need to thrive because they lack a local connection. The government’s change will hopefully stop this practice and ensure young people can get the stable and affordable homes they deserve.

“It’s also an important step towards ending youth homelessness and protecting the most vulnerable. Taken together with funding for prevention and housebuilding, this brings us a bit closer over the short- and long-term towards ensuring young people are getting the support they need.”