Homelessness Reduction Act 2017

2 Duty to provide advisory services

For section 179 of the Housing Act 1996 (duty of local housing authority to provide advisory services) substitute—

“179 Duty of local housing authority in England to provide advisory services

(1) Each local housing authority in England must provide or secure the provision of a service, available free of charge to any person in the authority’s district, providing information and advice on—

(a) preventing homelessness,

(b) securing accommodation when homeless,

(c) the rights of persons who are homeless or threatened with homelessness, and the duties of the authority, under this Part,

(d) any help that is available from the authority or anyone else, whether under this Part or otherwise, for persons in the authority’s district who are homeless or may become homeless (whether or not they are threatened with homelessness), and

(e) how to access that help.

(2) The service must be designed to meet the needs of persons in the authority’s district including, in particular, the needs of—

(a) persons released from prison or youth detention accommodation,

(b) care leavers,

(c) former members of the regular armed forces,

(d) victims of domestic abuse,

(e) persons leaving hospital,

(f) persons suffering from a mental illness or impairment, and

(g) any other group that the authority identify as being at particular risk of homelessness in the authority’s district.

(3) The authority may give to any person by whom the service is provided on behalf of the authority assistance by way of grant or loan.

(4) The authority may also assist any such person—

(a) by permitting the person to use premises belonging to the authority,

(b) by making available furniture or other goods, whether by way of gift, loan or otherwise, and

(c) by making available the services of staff employed by the authority.

(5) In this section—

• “care leavers” means persons who are former relevant children (within the meaning given by section 23C(1) of the Children Act 1989);

• “domestic abuse” means—

  (a)

  physical violence,

  (b)

  threatening, intimidating, coercive or controlling behaviour, or

  (c)

  emotional, financial, sexual or any other form of abuse,

  where the victim is associated with the abuser;

• “financial abuse” includes—

  (a)

  having money or other property stolen,

  (b)

  being defrauded,

  (c)

  being put under pressure in relation to money or other property, and

  (d)

  having money or other property misused;

• “hospital” has the same meaning as in the National Health Service Act 2006 (see section 275(1) of that Act);

• “regular armed forces” means the regular forces as defined by section 374 of the Armed Forces Act 2006;

• “youth detention accommodation” means—

  (a)

  a secure children’s home,

  (b)

  a secure training centre,

  (c)

  a secure college,

  (d)

  a young offender institution,

  (e)

  accommodation provided by or on behalf of a local authority for the purpose of restricting the liberty of children;

  (f)

  accommodation provided for that purpose under section 82(5) of the Children Act 1989, or

  (g)

  accommodation, or accommodation of a description, for the time being specified by order under section 107(1)(e) of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 (youth detention accommodation for the purposes of detention and training orders).”