Welsh homeless charities welcomes ‘landmark’ Senedd bill

Adam Johannes

Wales has taken an important step towards driving down exceptionally high levels of homelessness with the passing of Stage 4 of the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocations (Wales) Bill. Charities hope this could transform how the country prevents and tackles homelessness.

Shelter Cymru said the new Bill is a long-overdue breakthrough. Every year, the organisation helps more than 12,000 households across Wales, with workers witnessing the devastating impact of the current system every day.

The charity said that last year, more than 13,000 households in Wales suffered homelessness, and currently over 10,000 people in Wales are homeless, stuck living in unsuitable temporary accommodation.

The Bill – approved across parties – will remove the so-called “priority need” and “intentionality” tests, which have historically prevented vulnerable people facing homelessness from receiving the support they desperately need.

Its measures aim to both prevent people from being pushed into homelessness and improve support for people who do not have a stable place to call home, by enabling those at risk of homelessness to get help much sooner, placing new duties on other public services to work together to help prevent homelessness, and improving support for people facing homelessness.

Following the successful vote in the Senedd, Housing Minister, Jayne Bryant, said: “This Bill is unique. It is rooted in the lived experience of homelessness and every part of the Bill is a response to real experiences of the system…[it] gives us the tools to create a fairer system, prevent homelessness, support people into permanent homes, and move closer to our long-term ambition of ending homelessness in Wales.”

Matt Downie, CEO at Crisis, said: “The new law includes world-leading measures which aim to drive down high levels of homelessness and help to prevent people from being pushed into homelessness in the first place.”

He added: “We’re grateful to everyone who has helped to shape these crucial changes to the law, including people Crisis supports who bravely shared their first-hand experience of homelessness in Wales to help create a better future.”

“But the work does not end here. The Welsh Government and incoming Members of the Senedd after the elections in May 2026 must now invest in the proper implementation of these new laws.” Crisis called for services to be given the guidance, funding and resources to deliver on the bill.

Ruth Power, CEO of Shelter Cymru, said: “Wales has taken an important step towards achieving our shared ambition to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.” She added the bill had the potential to be the beginning of transformational change in how Wales tackles homelessness.

Experience

The Bill was crafted with input from experts and people with lived experience. An Expert Review Panel included representatives from charities, local government, social landlords, academics, and over 300 people who have experienced homelessness first-hand. Their insights were crucial in designing a law to reflect the realities faced by those at risk.

The legislation places a stronger focus on preventing homelessness before it happens. It also promises to make support and housing allocations more tailored to people’s individual needs, while encouraging closer collaboration between local authorities, charities, and social landlords.

Alongside homelessness reforms, the Bill introduces measures to improve the supply of social housing in Wales. Research by Shelter Cymru shows that over 94,000 households – one in every 14 – are currently waiting for a social home.

The new law will ensure local authorities monitor demand more effectively, giving both policymakers and residents a clearer picture of progress and local needs.

Ruth Power stressed that the Bill is only part of the solution: “To meet its aims, and provide transformative change for Wales, we must deliver the safe, secure and genuinely affordable social homes that people need – at scale and at pace.”

“Shelter Cymru look forward to continuing to work with the Welsh Government and partners through the coming months and years to deliver on the opportunity for transformative change that this Bill represents.”

Charities hope the new legislation will mark a turning point for Wales.