Change but no Change: Dealing with Homelessness under the 1996 Housing Act

This paper examines the impacts of the 1996 Housing Act on homelessness policy and practice in England and Wales. It begins by setting out the national context within which the Act was framed, highlighting some key motivations for reforming homelessness legislation and responses to the proposed changes. Attention is then given to the principal provisions of the 1996 Act. The main body of the paper draws on a national survey of, and in-depth interviews with local authority homelessness officers to explore the impact of the 1996 Act on local homelessness policies and practices, on homeless households and on the extent to which homelessness is regarded as a problem. The paper ends by looking at the changes in dealing with homelessness introduced by the current Labour Government and at the additional measures required for the problem to be tackled effectively.