The Welsh Parliament has unanimously passed the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation Bill — a landmark law that will intervene up to six months before people lose their homes, abolish barriers to support, and require all public services to cooperate on preventing homelessness.

The timing couldn't be more critical. Last year, councils across Wales recorded nearly 13,300 households as homeless — a staggering number for a nation of just over three million people.

"This is truly a landmark day in Wales. The new bill has the potential to be life-changing for the thousands of people across Wales that are facing the trauma that comes from living without a stable place to call home." — Matt Downie, Chief Executive, Crisis

What Makes This Law Different

Rather than waiting until someone is already on the streets, the new law mandates intervention up to six months before homelessness occurs — more than triple the previous 56-day window. This fundamental shift from crisis response to prevention is what has charities calling it the most significant piece of housing legislation in a generation.

Abolishing Barriers

The legislation abolishes the controversial 'priority need' and 'intentionality' tests — bureaucratic hurdles that have historically blocked some of the most vulnerable people from receiving help. Under the old system, you could be deemed 'intentionally homeless' and turned away. Under the new law, everyone who is eligible gets access to the full housing duty.

Multi-Agency Cooperation

Homelessness is rarely caused by a single factor — it's typically a collision of job loss, mental health challenges, relationship breakdown, and gaps in support. The new law requires public services across health, education, social services, and housing to share information and work together through 'ask and act' duties.

Every person facing homelessness will receive a personalised Prevention, Support and Accommodation Plan — not a generic leaflet, but a tailored roadmap developed with them.

Built on Lived Experience

Remarkably, the bill's development involved direct consultation with over 300 people who had experienced homelessness themselves. This isn't policy written in an ivory tower — it's grounded in the reality of what it actually means to lose your home.

Social landlords will now be legally required to cooperate with housing authorities on nominations, and the Welsh government will take a leading role in monitoring the demand for social homes.

A Model for Others

The legislation is expected to come fully into force after the May 2026 elections. Wales can't solve homelessness overnight. But by choosing prevention over crisis management, and cooperation over bureaucracy, it's showing that a different approach is possible — and that political will can translate into real protection for people at their most vulnerable. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏠

Sources: Crisis, Positive News, Welsh Government