Government sets out new Action Plan to reduce homelessness for care-experienced young people, building on PM’s pledge to tackle rough sleeping.
Young people who have been in care will be better protected from falling into homelessness with new duties on councils to support young people as they step out of care and towards independent living.
The Care Leaver Homelessness Reduction Action Plan, launched at the start of Care Leavers Month 2026, declares that no young person should become homeless when they leave care. It also gives clear new duties to local authorities to prevent that from happening.
Currently, too many young people lose their support overnight when they leave care. Without family to fall back on, they can face poor mental health, money worries, a lack of jobs or education, and too few suitable homes.
Under new rules, local authorities are required to publish their plans for care leavers’ accommodation needs, work with housing partners, and support those at risk of homelessness in their local offer for care leavers. Additionally, care leavers can no longer be found intentionally homeless, which is currently a barrier to getting much-needed assistance that fails to reflect their particular circumstances.