On Thursday 17th September, we received the following update from the Welsh Government in relation to implementation of the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Act 2026. This follows a technical briefing on the commencement phases of the Act, which has been shared by the Welsh Government.
Implementation of the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Act 2026 continues to progress, with work underway across a number of areas to support preparation for the new legislation.
A key milestone has been the appointment of Neath Port Talbot Council as Host Local Authority for the Homelessness Reform Delivery Partnership following a very competitive Expressions of Interest process from several local authorities. The Partnership is being established to support delivery of the reforms and will become a central mechanism for collaboration, engagement and co-production as implementation progresses.
The Partnership will bring together Welsh Government, local authorities and key partners to support the operational development and delivery of implementation activity. Its role will include supporting the development of guidance and implementation products, identifying and addressing practical implementation challenges, sharing learning and good practice, and helping to coordinate activity across implementation workstreams. It will also provide an important route through which stakeholder feedback can help shape implementation arrangements and support continuous improvement as reforms are introduced.
Alongside the Delivery Partnership, officials are progressing arrangements to establish a National Strategic Oversight Board and will shortly be writing out to a range of partners to invite representation. The Board will provide strategic leadership and oversight of implementation, helping to ensure delivery remains focused on achieving the ambitions of the Act and improving outcomes for people at risk of homelessness across Wales.
Alongside engagement and co-production activity, officials continue to progress a broader programme of implementation work. This includes the development of statutory and non-statutory guidance, consideration of operational and system requirements, engagement with legal advisers where required, and work across Welsh Government and with delivery partners to identify risks, dependencies and opportunities to support effective implementation.
We recognise the vital contribution of the sector in preventing and responding to homelessness and remain committed to ensuring implementation is informed by the expertise and experience of organisations working directly with people affected by homelessness. Feedback received through stakeholder engagement, working groups, consultation activity and the testing of emerging guidance will help shape implementation products and inform the work of both the Homelessness Reform Delivery Partnership and the National Strategic Oversight Board.
Whilst it will not be possible for every organisation to be represented within formal governance structures, we are committed to ensuring there are meaningful opportunities for partners to contribute throughout implementation. We will continue to engage with the sector as guidance, implementation products and operational arrangements are developed, and as further workstreams are established.
We are grateful for the ongoing support, expertise and challenge provided by third sector partners and look forward to continuing to work together to support successful implementation of the Act.
