Policy makers across Wales have repeatedly highlighted the deepening housing emergency as a key priority. One of the most acute and visible consequences of the housing emergency in Wales is the rising numbers of people experiencing homelessness, along with a surge in demand for temporary accommodation.
At WCPP, we have been supporting Welsh local authorities to use evidence to help address these challenges as part of our Tackling Inequalities priority area.
The passing of the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocations (Wales) Bill 2026 marks a significant shift in Wales’ approach to homelessness, placing greater emphasis on prevention rather than crisis management.
Local authorities must therefore shift their approach to managing homelessness away from responding only at the point of crisis, and instead prioritise early identification of, and intervention for those at risk of becoming homeless. Recognising this, the Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP), in partnership with fellow What Works Centre the Centre for Homelessness Impact (CHI), sought to work with one or more local authorities to support them to access and apply evidence and insight to inform their policy and practice in relation to homelessness and temporary accommodation. The aim was to support them to address root causes of homelessness, better identify and support those at risk of homelessness, reduce demand for temporary accommodation and, where it is necessary, to improve its use and provision.
In January 2026, WCPP launched an open call, inviting local authorities to submit expressions of interest for evidence support from the WCPP and/or CHI. For more information on our open call process, read our blog: ‘Exploring how evidence can help address the temporary accommodation crisis’
Following a review of the submissions received, we selected three local authorities to collaborate with in the first instance: Flintshire, Ynys Môn and Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT). In partnership with CHI, we will be supporting both Flintshire and Ynys Môn (Isle of
Anglesey) County Councils through a ‘What Works Evidence Sprint’, to rapidly find areas of the Councils’ homelessness system where change could make the biggest difference to outcomes for people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness.
In addition, we are supporting RCT’s Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) team as part of their ‘Homelessness and preventative spend’ project. Amanda Hill-Dixon, WCPP Director of Policy and Practice (Public Services), “There is a real opportunity for local authorities in Wales to draw on evidence of all kinds to support a shift towards preventing homelessness, in line with the aspirations of the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocations Act (2026). “We are delighted to be working with the Centre for Homelessness Impact, and Rhondda Cynon Taf, Ynys Môn and Flintshire Councils as part of this process, and we look forward to sharing the learning more widely with other Welsh local authorities”