Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Act 2026

PART 1HOMELESSNESS

Help to prevent homelessness

1Meaning of “threatened with homelessness”

2Help to prevent an applicant from becoming homeless

Assessment of needs and plans for securing accommodation and support

3Duty to assess and notice of outcome of assessment

4Prevention, support and accommodation plans

5Right to request a review

Reform of duties to secure accommodation

6Duty to secure accommodation for eligible homeless persons with a local connection to Wales

7Circumstances in which the duty to secure accommodation for applicants comes to an end

8Interim duty to secure accommodation for homeless applicants

Abolishing entitlement by reference to priority needs and intentional homelessness

9Abolition of differences in entitlement related to priority need

10Abolition of differences in entitlement related to intentional homelessness

Local connection referrals

11Referral of cases to another local housing authority

12Meaning of local connection

13Exemption from referral to another local housing authority

14Duties to applicants in referral cases

15Cases referred from a local housing authority in England

16Notice to applicants in referral cases

Further homelessness prevention duties

17Help to retain suitable accommodation secured in exercise of homelessness functions

18Duty to contact certain applicants after duty in section 75 comes to an end

Unacceptable behaviour that brings duties to an end

19Further circumstances in which the duties to help applicants end

Duty to ask and act

20Duty of a specified person to ask and act

21Duty to refer persons in England to a local housing authority in Wales

Provision for vulnerable people

22Duty to ensure young people leaving care have suitable accommodation

23Protocol for handling cases involving care leavers etc.

24Protocol for handling cases involving persons in particular need of support

25Protection of property: prisoners

26Duty to provide information, advice and assistance: detained persons

27Definition of “abuse”

Seeking the views of homeless persons

28Duty to seek the views of homeless persons in exercise of homelessness functions

Condition of accommodation

29Suitability of accommodation

30Reports on use and condition of interim accommodation

32Co-operation between social landlords and local housing authorities

Viewing accommodation

33Viewing accommodation

PART 2SOCIAL HOUSING ALLOCATION

Ineligibility for allocation of social housing

34Ineligibility for allocation of housing as a result of unacceptable behaviour

Preference for persons in allocation schemes

35No preference for persons who try to manipulate the housing system

36Preference for young people leaving care

37Housing registers

PART 3MISCELLANEOUS AND GENERAL

38Guidance to local housing authorities on rent guarantees

39Review of the operation and effect of changes made by this Act

40Interpretation

41Minor and consequential provision

42Power to make consequential and transitional provision etc.

43Coming into force

44Progress reports on bringing the Act into force

SCHEDULEMINOR AND CONSEQUENTIAL PROVISION

1Housing Act 1996 (c. 52)

2Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (anaw 4)

3Housing (Wales) Act 2014 (anaw 7)

4Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 (anaw 1)

Welsh Royal arms

Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Act 2026

2026 asc 3

An Act of Senedd Cymru to reform the law on support to prevent and end homelessness and to reform the law about the allocation of social housing.

[1 April 2026]

Having been passed by Senedd Cymru and having received the assent of His Majesty, it is enacted as follows: