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News in brief : Issue 164

October 01 2026
News in brief by the Pavement Team

Temporary fix

Council spending in England on B&B accommodation for homeless people increased by 22% in 2025/26, figures published by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) show. The MHCLG report was released in September and shows local authorities spent a net total of £467.5m on this kind of temporary accommodation in the year to March, up from an inflation-adjusted £383.6m in 2024/25 – an increase of £83.8m. The Press Association reports net spending by councils on all types of temporary accommodation for the homeless plus administration costs rose by 2% year-on-year. The figure includes a £494.3m spend on nightly paid, privately managed accommodation, down from £622.6m the previous year. Furthermore, spending on hostels, which can include refuges, was down by almost a third to £26.2m from £37.8m.



Poster for Full Circle. © The People’s Recovery Project 
A new exhibition by members of The People’s Recovery Project opens in October. Full Circle features the creative work of community members and their inspirational stories of recovery. The exhibition is open daily 7 to 13 October 2026, 10am to 6pm at House of Annetta, 25 Princelet Street, London, E1 6QH. A private fashion show will be held on 8 October, showcasing garments made by members of The People’s Recovery Project and featuring catwalks, music, spoken word and talks. The People’s Recovery Project is a charity working with people recovering from substance use issues and experiencing homelessness. For more information visit its website: thepeoplesrecoveryproject.org


Outside in

In late August, the Outside Project was awarded £594,322 funding to deliver a pan-London LGBTIQA+ housing outreach service. The award comes from the government’s Ending Homelessness in Communities Fund and will cover 2026-2029. With the money, the Outside Project aims to deliver specialist outreach, housing casework and advocacy for LGBTIQA+ people who are sleeping rough, experiencing homelessness or have insecure housing.


Panned plan

The Conservatives revealed plans in August to ban foreign nationals from social housing. As part of the proposal, the Tories vowed to end new tenancies for all foreign nationals, as well as current tenancies for couples where neither person is a UK, Irish or EU citizen with settled status. The party claims the move would free up 228,144 homes. However, Sarah Elliott, the chief executive of housing charity Shelter, told the Guardian: “These divisive plans would brutally kick people out of their homes, including thousands of families and pensioners who have lived in them for decades. And let’s not forget that social tenants pay rent, which goes back to the public purse and into society. It is completely senseless to ruin people’s lives, drive up homelessness and put extreme pressure on councils. This policy does nothing to deliver new social homes, which is what we desperately need.”



Last year’s vigil. © the Pavement 
The annual vigil organised by the Museum of Homelessness to remember those who died whilst homeless will be held on 15 October. The vigil is held opposite Downing Street on Whitehall, London and begins at 6pm, with the names of those who have passed while experiencing homelessness during 2025 read out at 6:45pm. All are welcome to attend the vigil and people unable to make it are encouraged to light a candle on 15 October in remembrance. 


Free laundry

A new partnership between arts charity Quiet Down There and Justlife, the UK charity supporting people in temporary accommodation was launched in September. The collaboration creates a new model of community support, bringing together free laundry, creativity and temporary accommodation services under one roof. The collaboration will expand Quiet Down There’s Harriet’s Press project – a free laundry service. Harriett's Press will now have a permanent home at the Justlife Hub in Brighton, with greater capacity to meet growing demand. Based on average prices at Brighton launderettes, one weekly wash and dry costs around £520 a year, or £43 a month. At Harriett's Press, washing and drying is free. Detergent is also free and no referral is needed.


Drug warning

A BBC report in September highlighted the rise of synthetic drugs in Scotland. As efforts are made to reduce the rise in drug-related deaths across the country, there has been an explosion in the supply of new synthetic cannabinoids and opioids, increasing the risk of fatal overdoses. Scotland is the drugs death capital of Europe and annual figures show an increase in deaths from last year. Police say organised crime groups are increasingly mixing new, synthetic substances with existing drugs to maximise their profits. Gareth Balmer, the  national harm reduction lead at the drug, alcohol and mental health charity With You, told the BBC: “This is a frightening new landscape… I don't think drugs have ever been as risky or as dangerous as they are now.”



© Homeless Diamonds
A very happy birthday to the Pavement’s friends at Homeless Diamonds, the free arts magazine for people experiencing homelessness who are associated with St Mungo’s. The charity has produced 60 issues of the A4-sized arts magazine, which has featured works by friends of the Pavement including Chris Bird and Michelle Christopher. For 20 years, Homeless Diamonds has championed hundreds of artists with lived experience of homelessness and showcased their incredible works. Congratulations to all those who have had work featured in the magazine and to all involved in its production. 


Support service

For more than a year, a partnership between Turning Point Scotland and Fife Council has been helping people at risk of homelessness access support at the right time. The partnership encourages Turning Point Scotland community navigators to provide practical, person-centred support, helping homeless people and people at risk of homelessness navigate the housing system and make referrals to other services, such as health support. Scotland Housing News reports the support workers are present at places where people already live, study and seek help. Community navigator support is available through four morning drop-in sessions each week: Fife College Kirkcaldy campus on Mondays; Fife College Dunfermline campus on Wednesdays; The Maxwell Centre, Cowdenbeath on Thursdays; The Clearing, Cowdenbeath on Fridays. 


Council claps back

Edinburgh Council has rejected media reports that it prioritises people with leave to remain for housing. It also hit out at claims that councils across the country are using empty properties to house asylum seekers, pointing out that providing accommodation to those seeking asylum is the duty of the UK Home Office, not local authorities. The statement arrived in September, days after a report by The Telegraph headlined “Asylum seekers bumped to top of council housing list”. STV News detailed the Edinburgh Council response, which confirmed that once granted indefinite leave to remain, an individual is “afforded the same process, support and respect as every other applicant… it is entirely false to say people in this position have been prioritised for housing.”



© Kineara
A London charity supporting individuals and families facing housing insecurity, homelessness and other challenges launched a fundraising appeal in September to keep the vital service running. Southwark-based Kineara is aiming to raise £20,000 to stay operational and held a fundraising event on 25 September, bringing together local businesses, community organisations, artists and housing professionals. The event featured an art showcase, poetry and live music. Learn more about Kineara and the services it offers on its website: kineara.co.uk


Five year plan

The Scottish Government has announced a prevention-focused approach to reducing homelessness and provide rapid rehousing over the next five years. Holyrood unveiled plans to move from “crisis management to prevention” in September, including an additional 1,500 Housing First tenancies to support people with complex care needs into permanent housing. Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing Shirley-Anne Somerville, was quoted by Glasgow Live saying: “The best way to end homelessness is to prevent it from happening in the first place. That is why we are shifting our approach from crisis management to prevention and rapid rehousing. We will do all we can over this Parliament to help people off the streets and end the use of unsafe and harmful temporary accommodation.”


Suspended

The City of Edinburgh Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee has agreed to end the suspension of the council’s allocations policy. The suspension of the allocations policy allowed more than 350 households, including 200 families, to be moved out of unsuitable temporary accommodation and directly into a settled tenancy. The move to end the suspension follows progress made in reducing the number of void council homes, alongside an increase in the supply of suitable temporary accommodation. Councillor Tim Pogson told Scottish Housing News: “There is still much to be done, but I’m encouraged by the progress being made on the Housing Emergency Action Plan, which demonstrates tangible improvements being made.”

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