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Homelessness duties owed by London boroughs

Homelessness duties owed by London boroughs (2024 Q3)

Last updated: April 2025
Next estimated update: June 2025

What’s this indicator?

This indicator looks at the three types of statutory duties that local authorities owe households at risk of or experiencing homelessness.

Prevention duty

Local authorities owe prevention duties to help stop households at risk of homelessness losing their accommodation. In the third quarter of 2024, Croydon owed the most households a prevention duty, at 3.99 per 1,000 households.

Relief duty

If a household is homeless, the local authority owes them a relief duty to provide some sort of accommodation. Islington was the borough that owed the most households a relief duty, at 5.12 per 1,000 households compared to the London average of 2.82.

Main duty

The main homelessness duty to provide accommodation (which until 2018 was the only statutory duty owed to homeless households) comes into effect when the relief duty has failed and accommodation has not been secured.

Wandsworth owed the most households the main homelessness duty (2.32 per 1,000 households) in the third quarter of 2024.

Main homelessness duty owed per 1,000 households (2024 Q3)

Want to know more?

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