The recently introduced Homelessness and Social Housing Allocations (Wales) Bill marks a pivotal moment in the national effort to end homelessness in Wales. From a Cardiff and Vale Regional Partnership Board (RPB) perspective, the Bill offers a vital opportunity to strengthen collaboration between health, housing, and social care — placing prevention and early intervention at the centre of how we respond to housing need.
The Bill builds on the preventative ethos of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014, proposing stronger duties for public services to “ask and act” where there is a risk of homelessness. This approach resonates with our integrated model of care, where identifying vulnerability early – whether through primary care, hospital discharge teams, mental health services, or social care assessments – can lead to timely, person-centred support that reduces the risk of crisis. It reinforces the importance of housing as a determinant of health and wellbeing and challenges us to work across systems to ensure no one falls through the gaps.
Importantly, the Bill places an increased emphasis on the role of public bodies, including health and social care, in working together with housing providers to deliver coordinated responses. It includes provisions to support a national Rapid Rehousing approach, which aims to minimise time spent in temporary accommodation and provide secure homes as quickly as possible. This is crucial from a health perspective, as prolonged housing instability is known to negatively impact both physical and mental health outcomes.
The reflections shared by our partners at Platfform on the development of the Bill highlight the central role of lived experience in shaping its design. Over 340 people contributed their voices to the consultation, including those with lived experience of homelessness, mental health conditions, and structural discrimination. The Bill also proposes practical reforms to housing allocation, ensuring that people experiencing the greatest disadvantage have fairer access to social housing. This focus on equity and co-production aligns closely with the RPB’s values and principles of inclusive, community-led transformation.
While the proposed changes come with associated costs, the wider benefits are significant. Modelling suggests that the reforms could save the public purse millions over the next decade, with significant gains in health, social care and education outcomes. The phased implementation plan allows time for partnerships like ours to develop local capacity and embed changes sustainably, with a focus on long-term impact.
For the RPB, this Bill strengthens the case for housing to be recognised not just as shelter, but as an integral part of a person’s care journey. It invites us to further embed housing awareness into clinical and care pathways, invest in preventative practice, and foster partnerships that respond flexibly to the complex realities people face.
We welcome the principles behind the Bill and look forward to working alongside partners, communities and people with lived experience to ensure that the reforms are felt meaningfully on the ground — creating a region where homelessness is not only addressed but actively prevented.