CAS submitted written evidence to the Committee's inquiry on how local authorities are meeting their duties to people who may be homeless or threatened with homelessness since the abolition of the priority need test at the end of 2012.
From bureaux evidence we found that whilst homelessness issues have declined steadily since then, local authorities are having some challenges in implementing the preventative 'Housing Options' approach. This has led to some clients being deterred from making a homeless application, which does not comply with their legal rights. CAS recommends national guidance on Housing Options is published to ensure clarity for all local authorities on how they can combine a preventative approach whilst at the same time ensuring that homeless people's statutory rights are respected. We also suggest further investigation is carried out on the reasons why the proportion of people assessed as 'intentionally homeless' has increased.