Stadium - Building foundations for life

The problem of homelessness in London is a major concern for local authorities. This is because they do not have enough properties to house the number of people applying to them for help. Many families are placed in bed-and-breakfast accommodation, but this is expensive and not the preferred option for families.

Local authorities work with the private sector and housing associations to produce solutions such as the Housing Association Leasing Scheme (HALS), which we run with several authorities to provide temporary accommodation. We lease properties from private landlords for a period of three to five years. The local authority nominates a homeless household for the property and we enter into an agreement with the tenant.

We receive a fee for managing the tenancy on behalf of the authority and are responsible for enforcing the tenancy conditions.

At the end of the lease, we will negotiate a new lease or hand the property back to the landlord. It is important to emphasise that the accommodation we provide is temporary and we cannot provide you with permanent housing.

The local authority that arranged your temporary housing is responsible for rehousing you in the longer-term. To secure permanent accommodation, you must continue to use the bidding system if your local authority uses one. Your local authority’s temporary-housing team can give you more details and help.