Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Act 2026

Prospective

37 Housing registers E+W

After section 160A of the 1996 Act (allocation only to eligible persons: Wales) insert—

“160B Offers of housing accommodation held by registered social landlords and private registered providers of social housing: Wales

(1) The duty in subsection (2) applies only in relation to housing accommodation offered by a registered social landlord or a private registered provider of social housing under any arrangements to require that housing accommodation, or a specified amount of housing accommodation, is made available to a person or one of a number of persons nominated by a local housing authority in Wales.

(2) A registered social landlord or a private registered provider of social housing may only offer housing accommodation that it holds in a local housing authority’s area in Wales to persons included on the common housing register for that area.

(3) The Welsh Ministers may by regulations provide for circumstances in which the duty in subsection (2) does not apply.

(4) In subsection (1), “arrangements” means arrangements made in connection with the allocation of housing accommodation under this Part (whether legally enforceable or not).

Housing registers E+W

160C Common housing registers: Wales

(1) A local housing authority in Wales must establish and maintain a register of persons to whom housing accommodation in their area may be allocated in accordance with this Part (a “common housing register”).

(2) A local housing authority must include a person on the common housing register if—

(a) the person applies to the authority for housing accommodation, and

(b) the authority decides that the person—

(i) is not ineligible for an allocation of housing accommodation by virtue of section 160A(3) and (5), and

(ii) is not ineligible by virtue of a decision under section 160A(7).

(3) A local housing authority may include a person on the common housing register without an application if the authority decides that sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii) of paragraph (b) of subsection (2) apply to the person.

160D Regulations about common housing registers

(1) The Welsh Ministers must, by regulations, make provision for and in connection with common housing registers.

(2) The regulations must provide for—

(a) a person with an entry in the register to have access to information relating to the entry and the allocation of housing under this Part;

(b) general information relating to registers and their operation in the allocation of housing in each local housing authority area to be published.

(3) The regulations may, in particular, make provision—

(a) about amending and removing entries in the register in respect of a person;

(b) about giving notice (for example, giving notice if a person is included in the register or if an entry in the register in respect of a person is amended or removed);

(c) about the information that may or must be included on the register;

(d) requiring or authorising the disclosure of information contained on the register to a person or description of person specified in the regulations;

(e) about the creation, collection, collation and publication of information relating to the register or its operation in the allocation of housing;

(f) conferring functions on local housing authorities in Wales or the Welsh Ministers.

160E Accessible housing register

(1) A local housing authority in Wales must establish and maintain a register of housing accommodation in their area that—

(a) is available, or may in future become available, for allocation under this Part, and

(b) has features that may assist a disabled person.

(2) The Welsh Ministers must, by regulations, make provision for and in connection with a register required to be established and maintained under this section.

(3) The regulations must provide for general information relating to registers and their operation in the allocation of housing in each local housing authority area to be published.

(4) The regulations may, in particular, make provision—

(a) about amending and removing an entry in the register in respect of housing accommodation;

(b) about giving notice (for example, giving notice to persons specified in the regulations if accommodation is included on the register or if an entry in respect of the accommodation is amended or removed);

(c) about the information that may or must be included on the register;

(d) requiring or authorising the disclosure of information contained on the register to a person or description of person specified in the regulations;

(e) about the creation, collection, collation and publication of information relating to the register or its operation in the allocation of housing;

(f) conferring functions on local housing authorities in Wales or the Welsh Ministers.

(5) A registered social landlord and a private registered provider of social housing which holds housing accommodation in the authority’s area must comply with any reasonable request made to it by a local housing authority in connection with the exercise of the authority’s functions under this section.”

Commencement Information

I1 S. 37 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 43(2)