Cabinet

_________________________________________________________________________ - Page 1 - Minutes & Decisions CABINET 7pm, Thursday, 19 February 2026 Meeting held at Committee Room 6 - Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge UB8 1UW Decisions published on: 20 February 2026 Decisions come into effect from: 5pm, 27 February 2026 or as stated Members Present: Ian Edwards (Chair) Jonathan Bianco (Vice-Chair) Susan O'Brien Eddie Lavery Steve Tuckwell Wayne Bridges Members also Present: Richard Mills Stuart Mathers Sital Punja Jan Sweeting 1. APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE Apologies were received from Councillor Jane Palmer. 2. DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST IN MATTERS BEFORE THIS MEETING No interests were declared by Cabinet Members present. 3. TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE LAST CABINET MEETING The minutes of the Cabinet meeting held on 15 January 2026 were agreed as a correct record. 4. TO CONFIRM THAT THE ITEMS OF BUSINESS MARKED PART 1 WILL BE CONSIDERED IN PUBLIC AND THAT THE ITEMS OF BUSINESS MARKED PART 2 IN PRIVATE It was confirmed that items of business marked Part 1 would be considered in public and those marked Part 2 in private. Public Document Pack _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 2 - 5. MONTHLY COUNCIL BUDGET MONITORING REPORT: MONTH 9 RESOLVED: That the Cabinet: 1. Notes the revenue and capital budget monitoring positions and treasury management update as at December 2025 (Month 9) as set out in Part A of the report, furthermore, noting the actions proposed by officers. 2. Approves a change to the funding basis for a cohort of 21 in -house residential acquisitions, whereby funding of £3.45m is switched from Right to Buy (RTB) receipts to £4.54m of Greater London Authority (GLA) g rant funding, within the Council’s existing approved acquisition programme. The balance enables a reduction in the Council’s borrowing require ment of £1.09m. 3. Approves the repurposing of £3.285m of Earmarked Reserves as at 31 March 2025 to rectify changes required by the External Auditors to the final 2024/25 Accounts. 4. Approves a change to the Treasury Management Strategy to allow the use of capi tal resources for revenue purposes up to Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) limits should the Government “be mind ed” to approve the Council’s application. 5. Grants permission to liquidate the Council’s £15m of longer- term investments to protect the Council’ s cash position if required in March. 6. Approves acceptance of £155k of grant funding from the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) for 2025/26 for direct investment in prevention activity for children at risk of suspension and exclusion from school. 7. Approves accep tance of £149,560 of grant funding from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) for 2025/26 and 2026/27 for direct investmen t in improving outcomes for service children and strengthening school support models. 8. Approves acceptance of £16k of grant funding from the De partment for Education (DfE) for 2025/26 for direct investment in improving the mentoring provision offered to Early Career Teachers enrolled with Learn Hillingdon. 9. Approves acceptance of £242k of grant funding from NHS England via the ICB. Partnerships f or Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) is a national programme funded by Department for Education (DfE) and supported by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England (NHSE). 10. Approves acceptance of £677,948 of grant funding fro m the Department for Education (DfE) for 2026/27 to support the implementation and delivery of the Staying Close initiative in Hillingdon. Reasons for decisions The Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation introduced the budget monitoring report for Month 9 (December 2025), noting that the General Fund overspend stood at £35.9 million - an improvement of £0.1 m illion from Month 7 - and that the position had been broadly stable since Month 6. The main pressures _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 3 - continued to arise from adult social care, children’s services and homelessness. The level of ongoing risk had reduced to £5.7 million, with £2.6 million in identified opportunities, largely from anticipated reductions in waste disposal costs. The savings programme had been fully reviewed. Of the £38.8 million savings target, £19 million was banked or on track, with the remainder rated amber with expected slippage into the next year or written out as undeliverable. Furthermore, the General Fund reserve was now overdrawn by £34.4 million. Discuss ions with the Government on the Council’s Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) request were ongoing, and the Section 151 Officer confirmed he was not minded to issue a Section 114 notice while these continued. The Cabinet Member also highlighted recent Gove rnment confirmation through ‘Fairer Funding’ that Hillingdon had been significantly underfunded for many years, th ough full correction would take three years. The Cabinet Member noted the Dedicated Schools Grant showed a favourable movement, resulting in a forecast deficit of £9.6 million for the year and a cumulative deficit of £75.5 million. Recent Government announcements indicated that 90% of this deficit would be covered nationally, reflecting recognition of longstanding underfunding of SEND provision . The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) remained stable, with reserves forecast at £15 million. The capital programme totalled £357.5 million across the General Fund and HRA, with 73.6% expected to be spent in -year and the remainder rephased into the next financial year. Major improvements for residents had included completion of the Platinum Jubilee Leisure Centre in West Drayton and the new Uxbridge Library, along with ongoing upgrades to the Civic Centre and continued investment in housing stock, acquisitions and new builds. Alternative options considered and rejected None. Relevant Select Committee Corporate Resources & Infrastructure Expiry date for any scrutiny call-in / date decision can be implemented (if no call-in) Cabinet’s decisions on this matt er can be called in by a majority of the select committee by 5pm, Friday 27 February 2026. If not called -in by then, Cabinet’s decisions can then be implemented. Officer(s) to action Steve Muldoon / Jon Alsop Directorate Finance Classification Public - The report and any background papers relating to this decision by the Cabinet are available to view on the Council 's website or by visiting the Civic Centre, Uxbridge _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 4 - 6. 2026/27 BUDGET AND FUTURE MEDIUM-TERM FINANCIAL STRATEGY (TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL) RESOLVED: That the Cabinet approves for recommendation to Council: 1) The General Fund and Housing Revenue Account revenue budgets and Capital Programme budgets for 2026/27 and the Medium -Term Financial Strategy, including savings proposals, fees and charges as detailed in Appendices A, B and H1, having taken the Select Committees’ comments, public consultation responses and Equality Impact Assessments conscientiously into account as set out in Appendices C, D and E. 2) The use of up to £62.0m i n Exceptional Financial Support to balance the 2026/27 budget. 3) An increase in the Hillingdon element of the 2026/27 Council Tax of 4.99% (including the Adult Social Care precept of 2.00%), with a charge of £1,534.95 per Band D property. 4) The Flexible use of Capital Receipts Strategy to deliver efficiency savings, including utilisation for redundancy costs, as detailed at paragraphs 39 to 45 and Appendix F, and the use of £2.73 3m of capital receipts for this purpose. 5) The Capital Strategy, Treasury Management Strategy Statement, Investment Strategy, and Minimum Revenue Provision Statement for 2025/26 to 2030/31 as detailed at Appendix G. 6) The Reserves Policy set out in paragraphs 50 to 60. 7) The proposed London Borough of Hillingdon Pay Policy Statement for 2026/27 set out at Appendix I. 8) A rent increase of 4.8% (CPI +1%) from 1 April 2026 in line with the maximum increase for social rent set by the national rent policy, whilst noting that the Council continues to set rents for re -lets (both new tenants and transfers) up to formula target rent. 9) That tenant service charges be varied in line with estimated actual costs for 2026/27, from 1 April 2026 (noting the estimated charges set out in Appendix H2). 10) A budgeted drawdown from DSG Reserves in 2026/27 of £8.2m. 11) That use of general reserves or balances, including any virement between the General Fund budget, Housing Revenue Account budgets or Capital budgets during the MTFS financial yea rs 2026/27 to 2028/29 be delegated to the Cabinet, in respect of those functions wh ich have been reserved to the Cabinet. 12) Note the Council Tax Resolution resulting from the proposed budget as set out in Appendix J to this report and recommend Full Council to approve it. 13) That the Council’s relevant basic amount of Council Tax for 2026/27 is not excessive in accordance with principles approved under Section 52ZB Local Government Finance Act 1992 and therefore a referendum will not be triggered. _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 5 - That Cabinet: 14) Notes that the budget is balanced on the assumption of sufficient Exceptional Financial Support being agreed by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) through an in -principle capitalisation support decision, and that this will need to be formally confirmed before full Council can approve the budget. 15) Notes th e Council’s request for Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) from the MHCLG of up to £88m for 2025/26 and £62m for 2026 -27, decreasing thereafter in 2027/28 with the aim to n ot need any further EFS in 2028/29. 16) Notes and acknowledges that in recommending the budget to full Council, due consideration has been given of the Equality Impact Assessments on individual savings proposals and the cumulative impact of the budget on groups with protected characteristics as set out in Appendix E and paragraphs 123 to 132. 17) Agrees that all drawdowns from general and other central contingencies will require Cabinet approval under the advice of the Corporate Director of Finance. 18) Authorises the Corporate Director of Finance to make any technical adjustments to the budget such as virements to align the budget with the proposals and recommendations within this report, to allocate inflation or correct budget allocations of growth and savings to service areas as may be required. Reasons for decision The Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation introduced the 2026/27 budget proposals to be recommended to full Council, highlighting key points ahead of the full budget speech the following week. Th e report and appendices built on the draft budget issued in December 2025, which ha d been subject to public consultation; Cabinet noted the responses summarised in Appendix D. The budget was balanced on the basis of planned Exceptional Financial Support (EFS), subject to Government approval, which was expected the following week. The pre vious request for 2024/25 support had been withdrawn following near -finalisation of the accounts, and the updated EFS request totalled £150 million across 2025/26 and 2026/27. The Cabinet Member clarified that the paper presented a one -year budget alongside a three-year medium-term forecast and a five-year capital programme. He reiterated that Hillingdon had been underfunded for many years, a position now recognised in the new Fair Funding formula. Core spending power was due to rise by £105.3 million over three years, although £28.7 million of this would come from annual Council Tax increases proposed at 4.99% and further amounts from inflation and assumed business rate growth. Following refinement of growth and savings proposals, the final budget gap st ood at £62 million. Temporary accommodation demand added £1.6 million to growth and increased future -year pressures. It was noted that Council Tax was proposed to increase by 4.99%, retaining one of the lowest rates in London, and fees and _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 6 - charges were ass umed to rise by 10%. Errors in the Ruislip Lido parking charge from the December report had been corrected. The Cabinet Member advised that the proposed five -year General F und capital programme totalled £268.5 million, including projects such as the Hilli ngdon Outdoor Activity Centre, Care Home and £8.3 million for roads. The Housing Revenue Account was underpinned by a 30-year business plan, with rents proposed to rise by 4.8% (CPI + 1%) and investment continuing in both stock improvements and new homes. Regeneration schemes in Hayes Town Centre and Avondale would deliver 236 new homes across phases 2, 3 and 5, alongside further schemes at Haydon Drive, Falling Lane, Otterfield Road, homes in in Uxbridge and Nelson Lane. Cabinet considered the equality i mpact assessments in Appendix E and agreed the report’s recommendations, including the use of EFS to balance the budget. The Leader of the Council noted the increased response rate to the consultation and the value of resident feedback. Two minor corrections to the Council Tax resolution in Appendix J were agreed. Following consideration of all the information presented, Cabinet, therefore, resolved to recommend its budge t proposals to the Council meeting on 26 February 2026 for final consideration. Alternative options considered and rejected The Cabinet could have chosen to vary the proposals in its budget before recommending it to Council. Relevant Select Committee All Expiry date for any scrutiny call-in / date decision can be implemented (if no call- in) Cabinet’s decisions recommending the budget to the full Council cannot be called -in, take immediate effect and stand referred to the full Council to consider at its meeting on 26 February 2026. All remaining decisions by the Cabinet can be called - in by a majority of the relevant select committee by 5pm, 27 February 2026. Officer(s) to action Steve Muldoon / Matt Davis Directorate Finance Classification Public The report and any background papers relating to this decision by the Cabinet are ava ilable to view on the Council's website or by visiting the Civic Centre, Uxbridge. This item was also circulated less than 5 clear working days before the Cabinet meeting a nd it was considered by the Chairman to be urgent, and therefore, considered. _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 7 - 7. THE SCHOOLS BUDGET 2026/27 RESOLVED: That the Cabinet: 1) Approve the Dedicated Schools Grant budgets for 2026/27 as set out in paragraph 1.2, Table 2 below. 2) Approve the Primary and Secondary schools block funding formula for 2026/27 as set out in paragraph 2.2 below. 3) Note the Early Years Funding Formula allocation, for which a consultation with Early Years providers is currently underway as set out Section 3 below. 4) Note the High Needs Block budget for 2026/27, which includes the 0.5% Schools Block Transfer approved through the disapplication process by the Secretary of State on 6 February 2026. 5) Should any further Council approval regarding the Schools Budget 2026/27 be required, agree to delegate authority for this to the Cabinet Member for Finance & Transformation and Cabinet Member for Children, Families & Education and in consultation with the Corporate Director of Finance, to determine under urgency provisions. 6) Request the waiver of the scrutiny call -in period, in accordance with constitutional obligations, so that schools can be formally notified of their approved individual budgets by the 28 February 2026. Reasons for decision The Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education introduced the 2026/27 schools budget, seeking C abinet approval for block funding allocations for schools and early years provision following consultation with the Hillingdon Schools Forum. The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) for 2026/27 totalled £445 million, an increase of 5.2% from the previous year. Much of this uplift reflected the rolling-in of the National Insurance Contributions Grant and the full-year effect of the Schools Budget Support Grant, with the real-terms increase estimated at around 0.1%. The Cabinet Member explained that the local scho ols funding formula continued to move closer to the National Funding Formula. The Schools Forum had been consulted on a proposed 1% transfer from the Schools Block to the Hi gh Needs Block and on the Education Statutory Duties delegation request but did not support either proposal. A related disapplication request had been submitted to the Department for Education, and the Secretary of State confirmed approval for only a 0.5% transfer; a final decision on the statutory duties request was awaited. This outcome would affect the final allocations. _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 8 - It was advised that the reduced transfer placed significant pressure on education budgets, particularly the High Needs Block. The Schoo ls Forum had been informed that the Council would need to pause non -statutory funding for the year, as it could not be sustained without the full 1% transfer - an outcome described as disappointing, especially for highly-inclusive maintained schools. The Cabinet Member noted substantial growth in the Early Years Block due to the expanded Government entitlement for children aged nine months and over. Furthermore, c onsultation on SEND funding reforms was ongoing, including proposals to increase the supplemen t for disadvantaged two -year-olds, reduce supplements for three and four -year-olds, redirect funding to SEND inclusion, and move towards a real -time SEND funding model. Final decisions would be taken under delegated authority after consultation. The Leader of the Council welcomed the Government’s decision to address the DSG deficit and praised officers for their work in bringing the position back into improved balance, noting that Hillingdon compared favourably to many authorities still experiencing worsening DSG deficits. In considering all factors, Cabinet agreed the Schools Budget an d given the urgency of ensuring school budgets were notified to schools by 28 February, requested the waiver of the scrutiny call-in period. Alternative options considered and rejected Cabinet could have decided to recommend that the Schools Forum recons ider the proposed funding for schools. Relevant Select Committee Children, Families & Education Expiry date for any scrutiny call-in / date decision can be implemented (if no call - in) N/A – this matter cannot be called in and takes immediate effect, as t he Chair of the Children, Families & Education Committee agreed to waive the scrutiny call -in period in accordance with the Council’s Constitutional provisions. Officer(s) to action Luisa Hansen Directorate Finance Classification Public The report and any background papers relating to this decision by the Cabinet are available to view on the Council's website or by visiting the Civic Centre, Uxbridge. _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 9 - 8. HOUSES OF MULTIPLE OCCUPATION - ADDITIONAL LICENSING CONTROLS: OUTCOME OF CONSULTATION AND FINAL PROPOSALS RESOLVED: That Cabinet: 1) Considers the consultation responses and analysis set out; 2) Considers the Equalities Impact Assessment in Appendix 4. 3) Agrees that the Council uses powers enacted under Section 56 of the Housing Act 2004 t o designate the Additional Licensing Scheme for Houses of Multiple Occupancy to the whole borough. 4) Agrees the Additional Licensing Conditions detailed in Appendix 2. 5) Agrees the final Schedule of Fees detailed in Appendix 3. 6) Notes the implementation requirements and proposed timeline. Reasons for decisions The Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Growth presented final proposals for additional licensing controls for Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), following an extensive borough-wide consultation. He noted that poorly managed HMOs were a frequent concern for residents, often affecting the character of neighbourhoods, local streets and quality of life. Resi dents had been clear that they wanted higher standards and action taken where properties were badly managed. The Cabinet Member was clear that the Administration had listened and was delivering on the commitment made by full Council to tackle unlicensed and substandard HMOs. Cabinet was reminded that consultation on a proposed borough -wide additio nal licensing scheme had been agreed in October 2025. The consultation results showed strong support, with four in five respondents backing the scheme and believing it would improve neighbourhoods, raise standards and help identify rogue landlords. The evi dence base also supported intervention, with nearly 2,000 unregistered HMOs estimated in the Borough, serious housing hazards and thousands of anti -social behaviour incidents linked to HMOs across all wards. The Cabinet Member stated that doing nothing was not an option and that the scheme would support responsible landlords while targeting poor practice. The proposed licence fee was based on full cost recovery to fund enforcement without burdening taxpayers. Subject to approval, the designation would be m ade in February, followed by the statutory three -month notice period. Applications would open in May, with full compliance required by 23 August 2026 and enforcement beginning on 24 August 2026. The Cabinet Member highlighted that the scheme aligned with t he borough-wide Article 4 Direction, ensuring a coordinated approach across planning and housing enforcement. The Cabinet Member thanked officers, in particular Richard Webb, Stephanie Waterford, Michelle Greenidge and the wider Residents Services team, f or their extensive work in gathering evidence, running the consultation and preparing the report. He noted that the proposals demonstrated a clear commitment to listening to residents and taking decisive action to protect neighbourhoods. _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 10 - The Leader of the Council agreed that well -run HMOs formed an important part of the housing mix, but poorly managed HMOs were highly problematic for residents. He stressed that int roducing the scheme must be followed by firm enforcement to uphold standards. Cabinet, therefore, duly considering the evidence and rationale set out along with the consultation outcomes and equalities impact assessment, agreed to introduce an Additional Licensing Scheme for HMOs in Hillingdon. Alternative options considered and rejected Cabinet could have decided to do nothing, use alternate powers or a partial policy, but considered these would not effectively manage the use of HMOs in the Borough. Relevant Select Committee Residents’ Services Expiry date for any scrutiny call-in / date decision can be implemented (if no call-in) Cabinet’s decisions on this matter can be called in by a majority of the select committee by 5pm, Friday 27 February 2026. If not called -in by then, Cabinet’s decisions can then be implemented. Officer(s) to action Stephanie Waterford, Michelle Greenidge Directorate Residents Services Classification Public - The report and any background papers relating to this decision by the Cabinet are available to view on the Council's website or by visiting the Civic Centre, Uxbridge 9. SAFER HILLINGDON PARTNERSHIP: COMMUNITY SAFETY STRATEGY 2026- 2029 (TO RECOMMEND TO COUNCIL) RESOLVED: That the Cabinet: 1) Consider the outcome of the consultation and select committee comments; 2) Endorse and recommend that the Hillingdon Community Safety Strategy 2026-2029 in Appendix 1 be presented to full Council for adoption. Reasons for decisions The Cabinet Member for Community and Envi ronment introduced the Safer Hillingdon Partnership Community Safety Strategy for 2026 –2029, t o be recommended to full Council. The strategy reflected the shared commitment of partners to keeping Hillingdon safe and strengthening public confidence. It was shaped by the latest Strategic Needs Assessment and the Crime and Disorder Survey, which highl ighted residents’ concerns about burglary, drug dealing, knife crime and anti -social behaviour, as well as young people’s worries about gangs, social media and feeling safe in public spaces. _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 11 - The Cabinet Member explained that the strategy set out four prio rities: creating safer neighbourhoods, tackling violence against women and girls, reducing serious violence, and preventing harm through early intervention and safeguarding. It also responded to emerging risks including hate crime, modern slavery and onlin e radicalisation. The focus was on prevention, partnership working and practical action, ranging from improved CCTV and environmental design to stronger support for victims, targeted work with young people and disruption of those exploiting vulnerable individuals. Thanks were extended to all partners and officers involved in developing the strategy. The Leader of the Council noted the contrast between recorded crime statistics showing London as safer than before, and the lived experience of residents, many of whom felt less safe. He stressed the importance of the strategy and the partnership with the Police and welcomed continued joint efforts to address anti -social behaviour and low-level crime. Alternative options considered and rejected Cabinet could h ave not adopted a Strategy or agreed an amended Strategy but discounted these options to ensure there were priorities in place for the Safer Hillingdon Partnership to prevent and reduce crime and disorder. Relevant Select Committee Residents’ Services Expiry date for any scrutiny call-in / date decision can be implemented (if no call-in) Not for call -in. As related to the Council’s development plan, i.e. policy f ramework documents, this is now referred immediately to full Council for decision on 26 February 2026. Officer(s) to action Lloyd White / Richard Webb Directorate Chief Executive’s Office / Residents Services Classification Public - The report and any background papers relating to this decision by the Cabinet are available to view on the Council 's website or by visiting the Civic Centre, Uxbridge 10. PROPOSAL TO REDUCE THE PUBLISHED ADMISSIONS NUMBER OF FIELD END INFANT SCHOOL RESOLVED: That Cabinet: 1. Notes and considers the 4 responses from the consultation on the PAN change to community primary phase set out in the report, along with the select committee comments; 2. Agrees the proposal to reduce the Published Admissions Number (PAN) for Field End Infant School from 90 to 60, taking affect from September 2027; _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 12 - 3. Agrees that the Local Authority supports the following proposals submitted following formal consultations from non -community schools, which are all taking affect from September 2027. a) Field End Junior School to reduce its PAN from 90 to 60 b) St Martin’s Church of England Primary School to reduce its PAN from 60 to 30 c) Park Academy West London to reduce its PAN from 180 to 150, Reasons for decisions The Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education introduced a report proposing to reduce the Published Admissions Number (PAN ) of Field End Infant School. It was clarified that the school currently educates children aged 3 to 7 and that the PAN would be reduced from 90 to 60 from Septem ber 2027. This aligned the infant school with Field End Junior School, which had moved to a tw o-form-entry model two years earlier. The Cabinet Member confirmed that there would still be sufficient school places for local families and siblings and that the reduction would also adjust the school’s distance -priority radius in line with the Council’s admissions arrangements. It was also reported that the Council was supporting PAN reductions at other non-community schools as set out in the report. The Cabinet Member explained that reductions reflected the significant fall in pupil numbers being experi enced across London and that the Council was increasingly needing to manage school capacities to ensure sustainability. The Leader of the Council noted that falling rolls were impacting London boroughs widely and that Hillingdon had been comparatively les s affected to date. He concurred that such measures were necessary to ensure the long -term viability of schools and anticipated further interventions in future. Alternative options considered and rejected Cabinet could have decided to not change the exis ting three form entry but considered there to be implications of this on the schools’ finances and sustainability. Relevant Select Committee Children, Families & Education Expiry date for any scrutiny call-in / date decision can be implemented (if no call-in) Cabinet’s decisions on this matter can be called in by a majority of the select committee by 5pm, Friday 27 February 2026. If not called -in by then, Cabine t’s decisions can then be implemented. Officer(s) to action Abi Preston Directorate Children’s Services Classification Public - The report and any background papers relating to this decision by the Cabinet are available to view on the Council's website or by visiting the Civic Centre, Uxbridge _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 13 - 11. MINOR PROPERTY TRANSACTION: HOLY TRINITY COE PRIMARY SCHOOL, NORTHWOOD - STATUTORY TRANSFER RESOLVED: That Cabinet approve the request from the London Diocesan Board for Schools and Holy Trinit y CofE Primary School, Northwood, and agree the freehold transfer of the land together with th e building as set out in the report and site plan attached to the London Diocesan Board for Schools. Reasons for decision The Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Property introduced a report regarding the statutory transfer of Council -owned land fo r the benefit of Holy Trinity Church of England Primary School in Northwood. The school, a small voluntary-aided primary in the north of the Borough, had proposed repurposing its former caretaker’s house, which was no longer required for that function, and not use as additional classroom space to expand and improve its nursery provision. Under the relevant legislation, the Council was required to transfer the freehold of the land to facilitate this change of use. Cabinet noted the proposal and the statutory duty involved. Alternative options considered and rejected Cabinet could have refused the transfer of the Council’s land but considered this would not enable t he school to grow its education provision and that it would contrary to statutory guidance on the matter. Relevant Select Committee Children, Families & Education Expiry date for any scrutiny call-in / date decision can be implemented (if no call-in) Cabinet’s decisions on this matter can be called in by a majority of the select committee by 5pm , Friday 27 February 2026. If not called -in by then, Cabinet’s decisions can then be implemented. Officer(s) to action Gary Binstead / Andrew Low Directorate Children’s Services / Residents Services Classification Public - The report and any background papers relating to this decision by the Cabinet are available to view on the Council's website or by visiting the Civic Centre, Uxbridge _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 14 - 12. PUBLIC PREVIEW OF CONFIDENTIAL REPORTS RESOLVED: That Cabinet note the reports to be considered later in private and Part 2 of the Cabinet agenda and comment on them as appropriate for public information purposes. Reasons for decision The Leader of the Council introduced the public preview report outlining items to be considered in private later in the meeting. Alternative options considered and rejected As set out in the public Cabinet report and also within the private report. Relevant Select Committee N/A Expiry date for any scrutiny call-in / date decision can be implemented (if no call-in) This matter is not for call-in, as noting only. Officer(s) to action Mark Braddock Directorate Corporate Services Classification Public - The report and any background papers relating to this decision by the Cabinet are available to view on the Co uncil's website or by visiting the Civic Centre, Uxbridge. 13. HIGHWAYS TERM SERVICES CONTRACT RESOLVED: That the Cabinet accepts the Direct Award from O’Hara Bros Surfacing Limited for the provision of the Highways Term Service Contract fo r a three -month period from 1 April 2026 to 30 June 2026. Reasons for decisions The Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing & Growth introduced a report and recommendations, which Cabinet agreed, to award a short -term contract to provide service continuity for the Council’s highways functions in anticipation of a long -term contract being awarded later in the year. Alternative options considered and rejected Cabinet could have considered developing an in -house highways function or pursue alternate procureme nt approaches but discounted these due to service continuity and not best value. _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 15 - Relevant Select Committee Corporate Resources & Infrastructure Expiry date for any scrutiny call-in / date decision can be implemented (if no call-in) Cabinet’s decisions on this matter can be called in by a majority of the select committee by 5pm, Friday 27 February 2026. If not called -in by then, Cabinet’s decisions can then be implemented. Officer(s) to action Gurmeet Matharu Directorate Residents Services Classification Private - Whilst the Cabinet's decisions above are always made public, the officer report relating to this matter is not because it was considered in the private part of the meeting and contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information) and the public interest in withholding the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing it in accordance with Section 100(A) and paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A ) to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). 14. STREET LIGHTING TERM SERVICES CONTRACT RESOLVED: That Cabinet: 1) Accept the tender from J McCann & Co Limited for the provision of a Street Lighting Term Service Contract for installation, maintenance and test works on behalf of the London Borough of Hillingdon for a Seven Year period from 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2033 at an estimated c ost of up to £12.25m excluding annual uplifts based on inflation. 2) Furthermore, agrees that this includes t he provision to extend the contract for a further Five Years at an estimated cost of up to £8.75m (£1.75m per year, excluding annual inflationary uplifts), delegating approval to the Corporate Director of Residents Services, in consultation with the Cabine t Member for Planning, Housing & Growth, subject to contractor performance and commercial terms. 3) Authorises the grant of a seven years plus five yea rs lease to J McCann & Co Limited for a workshop at Harlington Road Depot, noting that this lease will be o utside the security of tenure provisions and will enable the council to terminate concurrently with the commercial contract as detailed in this report and instructs Legal Services to complete the appropriate lease documentation. Reasons for decisions The Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Growth introduced a report and recommendations, that Cabinet agreed, to award a new Street Lighting contrac t _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 16 - following a competitive procurement process along with the necessary lease to operate from the Harlington Road Depot. Alternative options considered and rejected Cabinet could have considered a multiple contract option or to bring the service in - house but discounted these options for the reasons set out in the confidential report. Relevant Select Committee Corporate Resources & Infrastructure Expiry date for any scrutiny call-in / date decision can be implemented (if no call-in) Cabinet’s decisions on this matter can be called in by a majority of the select committee by 5pm, Friday 27 February 2026. If not called-in by then, Cabinet’s decisions can then be implemented. Officer(s) to action Roy Thabrew Directorate Residents Services Classification Private - Whilst the Cabinet's decisions above are always made public, the officer report relating to this matter is not because it was considered in the private part of the meeting and contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of a ny particular person (including the Authority holding that information) and the public interest in withhold ing the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing it in accordance with Section 100(A) and paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A) to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). 15. IRRECOVERABLE CORPORATE DEBT RESOLVED: That the Cabinet approves writing off £286,541.92 in respect of individual irrecoverable Non-domestic Rates debt as set out in the report. Reasons for decisions The Cabinet Member for Finance & Transformation introduced a report and recommendations, which Ca binet agreed, to write off irrecoverable business rate debt for two companies that were in liquidation. Alternative options considered and rejected None, as the Council was unable to undertake further recovery action. Relevant Select Committee Corporate Resources & Infrastructure Expiry date for any scrutiny call-in / date decision can be implemented (if no call-in) Cabinet’s decisions on this mat ter can be called in by a majority of the select committee by 5pm, Friday 27 February 2026. If not called -in by then, Cabinet’s decisions can then be implemented. Officer(s) to action Tiffany Boreham _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 17 - Directorate Finance Classification Private - Whilst the Cabinet's decisions above are always made public, the officer report relating to this matter is not beca use it was considered in the private part of the meeting and contained information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the Authority holding that information) and the public interest in withholding the information outweighed the public interest in disclosing it in accordance with Section 100(A) and paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A) to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). 16. ANY OTHER ITEMS THE CHAIRMAN AGREES ARE RELEVANT OR URGENT No further business was considered. The meeting closed at 7.32pm Internal Use only* Implementation of decisions & scrutiny call-in When can these decisions be implemented by officers? Officers can implement Cabinet’s decisions in these minutes only from t he expiry of the scrutiny call -in period, unless otherwise stated in the minutes above, which is: 5pm, Friday 27 February 2026 However, this is subject to the decision not being called in by Councillors on the relevant Select Committee. Upon receipt of a valid call-in request, Democratic Services will immediately advise the relevant officer(s) and the Cabinet decision must then be put on hold. Councillor scrutiny call-in of these decisions Councillors on the relevant Select Committee shown in these minutes for the relevant decision made may request to call-in that decision. The call -in request must be before the expiry of the scrutiny call-in period above. Councillors should use the Scrutiny Call-in App (link below) on their devices to initiate any call -in request. Further advice can be sought from Democratic Services if required: Scrutiny Call-In - Power Apps (secure) Notice These decisions have been taken under The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012. This Cabinet meeting was also broadcast live on the Council’s YouTube channel here for wider resident engagement. Please note that these minutes and decisions are the definitive record of pro ceedings by the Council of this meeting. _________________________________________________________________________ - Page 18 - If you would like further information about the decisions of the Cabinet, please contact the Council below: democratic@hillingdon.gov.uk Democratic Services: 01895 250636 Media enquiries: 01895 250403

Cabinet – 19 March 2026 HOMELESSNESS AND ROUGH SLEEPING STRATEGY Cabinet Member & Portfolio Cllr Steve Tuckwell, Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Growth Responsible Officer Dan Kennedy, Corporate Director, Residents Services Report Author & Directorate Debby Weller, Residents Services Papers with report Appendix 1 – Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 Appendix 2 – Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Review Appendix 3 – Consultation Report Appendix 4 – Equality Impact Assessment HEADLINES Summary Following the conclusion of a six-week consultation , this report presents the results of the consultation, the Homelessness Review, Equality Impact Assessment and the revised Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy for formal adoption. Putting our Residents First Delivering on the Council Strategy 2022-2026 This report supports our ambition for residents / the Council of: Live in good quality, affordable homes in connected communities This report supports our commitments to residents of: Thriving, Healthy Households The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy will complement the wider Housing Strategy and the Health and Wellbeing Strategy and will contribute to the delivery of the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy. Financial Cost There are no direct financial costs in the updating and revision of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy Select Committee Residents’ Services Select Committee Ward(s) N/A Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) RECOMMENDATIONS That the Cabinet: 1) Duly note the outcome of the Homelessness Strategy consultation and the Equality Impact Assessment; 2) Approve the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Review and Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy as appended to this report; 3) Agree that a progress update will be provided to Cabinet on an annual basis. Reasons for recommendation(s) The Council has a statutory duty to produce and publish a strategy to tackle and prevent homelessness based on a review of all forms of homelessness in the borough. A six-week consultation was undertaken in relation to the draft strategy and the outcome of that consultation along with an equalities impact assessment is presented to Cabinet for consideration. Based on this and other information set out in this report, it is recommended that the Strategy be approved. Alternative options considered / risk management No alternative option has been considered. The Homelessness Act 20 02 places a statutory obligation on Hillingdon Council to produce a strategy to address homelessness at least once every five years. Select Committee comments The Select Committee have previously undertaken a major review into Homeless Prevention and the Customer Journey which was approved by Cabinet on 26 June 2025. Additionally, on 18 February 2026, the Select Committee considered the Homelessness Review and the draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy. Members sought reassurance around demand modelling for asylum seekers, new arrivals and Chagossian household s, noting continued service pressures. Councillors welcomed the use of trend data but highlighted the volatility of demand and the need for resilient financial planning. Members also requested clearer transparency where cost pressures were included in the published budget but not broken down by cohort. Councillors queried the use and impact of Discretionary Housing Payments, welcoming confirmation that the full budget is spent annually, while noting this may indicate unmet need. Members also highlighted the scale of temporary accommodation pressures, with forecast gross expenditure of around £35 million and net costs of £19.5 million, emphasising prevention as critical to long-term cost control. Councillors raised concerns about potential changes to London-wide temporary accommodation Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) data sharing, stressing the importance of benchmarking performance across boroughs. Members also welcomed the development of the new homelessness dashboard aligned to national targets and Medium Term Financial Strategy prior ities but emphasised that appropriate access for scrutiny would be essential. Members requested stronger outcome data on repeat rough sleeping and welcomed sustained placements for entrenched cases, while noting growing complexity, particularly around mental health and dual diagnosis. Councillors encouraged clearer evidence -based wording in the Strategy where supporting data exists. Councillors welcomed the near -exclusive use of self -contained temporary accommodation and strengthened partnership working with Heathrow Airport. Members also welcomed reassurance that the Council works closely with charities and voluntary organisations, particularly those supporting veterans, and liaises with relevant third parties to ensure coordinated support in complex cases. Members recommended that the Strategy include more detail on the impact of rough sleeping and homelessness near residential dwellings, particularly where this can contribute to antisocial behaviour or wider community concerns. Councillors stressed t he importance of clearer communication with residents, setting out how they can raise concerns, how they can feed into local solutions, and what enforcement powers the Council can and cannot use. Members also requested further clarity on delivery against the commitment to 500 homes within the Strategy. Members recommended the addition of the word ‘empathy’ to the list of values adopted by Hillingdon Council as set out in the draft Strategy. SUPPORTING INFORMATION Background 1. The Homelessness Act 20 02 requires that housing authorities pu blish a Homelessness Strategy based on a review of homelessness in their district every five years or more frequently if circumstances in the area change. 2. During 2025, a wide range of internal and external partners were engaged and an extensive range of data was collated to inform the revie w. This also took on board findings from the Residents’ Services Select Committee Review relating to Homelessness Prevention and the Customer Journey the recommendations from which were accepted by Cabinet in June 2025. 3. A draft strategy has been developed based on the findings of the homelessness review and has been the subject to a formal consultation process initially from 5 January 2026 to 15 February 2026 and extended to allow for an additional workshop with Adult Social Care and Public Health colleagues on 17 February 2026. The draft documents were also presented to Residents’ Services Select Committee on 18 February 2026. 4. There have been considerable changes affecting homelessness since our last Homelessness Strategy was published. The Covid 19 pandemic changed the landscape quite radically. Prior to this, there had been for some time 100 to 150 people at Heathrow Airport. They were all Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) relocated to hotels under the ‘Everyone In’ initia tive. Since this time , arrangements have continued between security at the airport and outreach services to ensure that rough sleeping at the airport remains at a much lower level. The last formal rough sleeper count in November 2025 recorded 13 rough sleepers at the airport. The period during and following the pandemic also saw considerable development of the rough sleeper pathway in Hillingdon, including use of Olympic House, 33 bed first stage accommodation , and enhanced outreach services, additional floating support and drug and alcohol services. Much of this has been supported by grant funding which is now being brought together in the overall Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeping Grant. 5. Key themes highlighted in the homelessness review include:  Prioritising prevention.  Integrating employment support with housing services.  Needs of specific groups, including those aged under 35, benefit capped households.  Asylum seeker pressures.  Improved partnering, including with landlords.  Providing realistic information on housing options.  Learning form complaints and instituting a structured approach to gathering feedback.  Promoting staff wellbeing and preventing burnout.  Increasing accommodation options and addressing conc erns regarding accommodation quality and anti-social behaviour. Current context 6. During 2024/25, there were 7,306 approaches to the Council regarding homelessness . The top three reasons were: private rented sector (PRS) evictions (1,720), family or friend evictions (1,699) and domestic abuse (434). The approaches were a 47% increase on the previous year. Approach numbers this year are forecast to be similar to 2024/25. 7. At the end of January 2026, there were 1,631 households in temporary accommodation, of which 864 were nightly paid bookings. The number, cost and quality of temp orary accommodation bookings is a considerable cause for concern and a risk for the Council. A separate Temporary Accommod ation (TA) Strategy was approved by Cabinet in February 2025 and quarterly monitoring reports are in place. The priorities in the TA Strategy are being taken forward via components in the Medium Term Financial Strategy and are reflected in the new Homeless ness Strategy. It is proposed that further monitoring of the TA Strategy be included as part of the overall monitoring arrangements for the Homelessness Strategy. 8. Current challenges for the Homelessness Strategy include:  Sharp increases in rough sleeping, especially in-borough as opposed to the airport.  Growing numbers of rough sleepers with complex needs.  Escalating TA costs and financial pressures.  Increased rental costs and growing gap between rent and Local Housing All owance impacting affordability.  Realignment of PRS housing with many small landlords exiting the market.  Use of hotels for asylum seekers and home office reducing backlog transferring responsibility to the Council. 7 to 28 day notice periods are insufficient. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public)  Realistic housing options include PRS out of borough , but reluctance and misunderstanding around relocation.  Increase in refugee linked rough sleeping.  Delivery challenges for new supply linked to cost inflation, regulatory requirement and competing priorities. 9. The National Plan to End Homeless was published by MHCLG on 11 December 2025. The Plan has the following five key themes:  Immediate action to end use of B&Bs for families and improve temporary accommodation.  Medium-term change to support councils and publish services from crisis to prevention.  Long-term sustainable change to address the root causes of homelessness.  Halving the number of people experiencing long-term rough sleeping  Underpinned by transformed accountability 10. Increased accountability includes a requirement that local housing authorities publish annual action plans to support the delivery of homelessness strategies. They are a condition of grant funding and the first action plan must be in place by Autumn 2026. 11. The plan will need to include targets against each of the metrics in the Outcomes Framework, and a description of how, working with partners, those targets will be achieved. The relevant metrics are:  Households with children in temporary accommodation (Rate per 1,000 households)  Families in non-self-contained B&B over 6 weeks (Number of households)  Success at prevention or relief (Percentage of all duties owed)  Success at prevention or relief for those with three or more support needs (Percentage of all duties owed)  People sleeping rough on a single night (Number of people)  People sleeping rough over the month who are long-term (Number of people) 12. The plan must also set out governance structures that will hold the authori ty and partners accountable; it must include a plan for ensuring suitability of temporary accommodation and a long-term rough sleeping partnership plan will be required. 13. The Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 and brings major reforms to the private rented sector. Enhanced enforcement powers have been in place since December 2025 and the new tenancy regime for the PRS will be in force from May 2026. This will include:  Abolishing section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions.  Introducing Assured Periodic Tenancies.  Reform of possession grounds.  Limiting rent increases to once a year.  Banning rental bidding and rent in advance.  Making it illegal to discriminate against renters who have children or receive benefits.  Requiring landlords in the PRS to consider tenant requests to rent with a pet.  Strengthening local council enforcement and rent repayment orders. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) 14. The second phase, the roll out of the landlords database and the introduction of the ombudsman will begin late 2026 . A third phase to implement Awaab’s Law in the PRS and Implement the Decent Homes Standard has a longer time frame well into the 2030s. 15. Implementation of the Supported Housing (Regulator y Oversight) Act will begin with a comprehensive needs assessment and development of a Supported Housing Strategy, to be in place by the end of March 2027. The Act has been brought in to tackle rogue providers and establish a regulat ory baseline and expectations for the sector. The strategies require collaboration with partners to understand the local landscape of supported housing, including supply, unmet need and future demand, and to develop a strategy which set out the direction of travel to meet identified needs. This will include supported housing for homelessness and related issues requiring support as well as a wide range of other types of supported housing. First annual management reporting will also be required Spring 2027. A licensing regime and national supported housing compliance standards are expected to go live Spring/ Summer 2027. 16. The new Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) 2026-2036 includes up to £11.7bn in London for projects on site by March 2036. Bidding opens from 24 February 2026. At least 60% of homes under the programme are expected to be social rent. Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 17. The Strategy sets out a vision for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping: “Putting residents first: a compassionate, preventative and empowering approach to tackling homelessness and rough sleeping, with access to appropriate accommodation and support.” 18. The Strategic Priorities, goals and key actions are summarised below: Strategic Priority 1: Resident Focused Homelessness Services Goal 1: Residents are Clear about their Rights and Responsibilities and are Respected, Understood and Supported Goal 2: Staff are Equipped to Provide Excellent Services Goal 3: Strengthening Partnerships  Residents’ Charter to explain homelessness support and set expectations  Providing a welcoming environment  Efficient appointment systems  Quality assurance controls  Training and development  Supervision and Wellbeing - staff supervision and tools and policies to support mental health  Learning culture, share good practice and • Recognise and value contributions • Shared protocols and integrated systems • Referrals across departments • Engage actively with partners • Coordinate activities • Forward planning work with partners Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public)  Feedback mechanisms to inform service improvements and promote co-production  Strengthening complaints process and learning to improve services  Update communication materials to ensure clarity and understanding promote continuous improvement  Professionalism and consistency – clear service standards and protocols  Effective case management with named case workers and active communication  Staff voice – involved in service design • Longer-term commissioning • Shared learning and development Strategic Priority 2: Early and Sustained Prevention of Homelessness Goal 1: Improve Access to Early and Sustained Prevention of Homelessness Goal 2: Strengthen Financial and Multi- Agency Support to Prevent Homelessness Goal 3: Support Tenancy sustainment and Long- Term Housing Stability • Universal advice • Targeted advice to be expanded for high-risk groups • Tailored response to high volume presentations • Readiness for Renters Rights legislation • Digital tools for self- assessment and tailored advice • Joint working with Children’s Services to improve pathways for care experienced young people • Homelessness Prevention Fund • Coordinate wraparound support through range of homelessness partners • Hospital discharge protocol • Prison and probation services strengthened protocol • Floating support and tenancy management through partners and inhouse services • Employment and financial advice to support long-term stability • Discretionary Housing Payments kept under review to support households at risk • Preparation for Independent Living Strategic Priority 3: Support Access to Safe, Suitable, Sustainable Accommodation Goal 1; Increase Access to Safe, Suitable and Sustainable Accommodation Reduce Reliance on Emergency Housing Improve Pathways to Settled Housing • Develop homelessness accommodation pipeline • Maximise use of Council owned assets • Increase supply of temporary and supported housing • Secure move-on options through collaboration with providers Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) • Address Homes in Multiple Occupation quality and regulation through licensing and inspections • Maximise use of existing Council homes • Continue to develop relationships with private landlords • Strengthen partnerships with housing associations and larger private sector providers • Promote tenancy sustainment and support services • Monitor and evaluate transition outcomes to inform future planning Strategic Priority 4: Targeted Housing Pathways for Single Homeless, Rough Sleepers and Other Groups Goal 1: Build Clear and Sustainable Housing Pathways Goal 2: Strengthen Partnership and Outreach to Address Complex Needs Goal 3: Promote Recovery, Independence and Long-Term stability • Robust Pathways to effectively support movement to sustainable accommodation • Pathways for recent arrivals • Increase availability of shared accommodation for under 35s • Targeted supported housing for young people • Safe Temporary Accommodation for survivors of Domestic Abuse • Combined housing and employment advice for those who are benefit capped • Dedicated officer working with hospital discharge teams • Partnership working with other London Boroughs to address rough sleeping • Collaboration with commissioned and non- commissioned services to help transition away from the streets • Outreach services to be reviewed to ensure remain responsive to evolving needs • Focus on health and wellbeing and on access to meaningful opportunities in education, training and employment • Tailored support to transition to independent living • Housing first initiatives to provide a solid foundation to address deep rooted challenges Strategic Priority 5: Modern data led cost effective services Goal 1: Use Data to Drive Prevention and Early Intervention Goal 2: Embed Performance, Workforce and Service Quality Monitoring • Centralised Homelessness Dashboard – provide real-time visibility of key metrics to support operational oversight, strategic planning and performance management • Benchmarking against other London boroughs and national indicators (outcomes framework) • Monitoring of staff caseloads and wellbeing indicators Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) • Predictive analytics to identify households at risk of homelessness earlier • Data modelling to support resource allocation, forecast demand and inform commissioning decisions • Key metrics to include re-approach rates, resolution times and resident satisfaction Consultation 19. The draft strategy has undergone a 6 -week consultation process involving a wide range of staff, partner organisations and Hillingdon residents , including some with lived experience of homelessness and rough sleeping. The survey methodology included an online survey, use of social media to promote the survey, workshops with staff and partners and a homelessness forum. Full details of the consultation are included in Appendix 3 and a short summary is provided below. 20. A total of 52 survey responses were received alongside extensive qualitative feedback from staff partners and residents. Overall, residents showed majority support for all five strategic priorities, with particularly strong endorsement for:  Priority 3 – Access to safe, suitable and sustainable accommodation: 75% agreed or strongly agreed, making it the most supported priority.  Priority 2 – Resident focused homelessness service (now reordered as priority 1 in the revised draft): 71% agreed or strongly agreed.  Priority 1– Prevention (now reordered as priority 2 in the revised draft): 62% agreed or strongly agreed. 21. Support was slightly lower for:  Priority 4 – Targeted pathways for single homeless and rough sleepers: Agreement and disagreement were more balance, reflecting mixed views.  Priority 5 – Modern, data-led and cost-effective services: 58% felt the priority aligned with their expectations 22. Overall, the consultation shows:  Broad support for the direction of the strategy.  Strongly articulated concerns about temporary accommodation pressures, system coordination, fairness and communication.  A clear need for enhance multi -agency working, data -led improvement, and more proactive, preventative pathways.  Community and partner anxiety about national policy pressures – particularly migration and private rented sector instability – and their impact on local services. Amendments following consultation 23. The findings of the consultation have been fully considered and appropriate changes have been inc orporated. A revised strategy is attached at Appendix 1 with alterations from the consultation draft adopted in the final version. These include: Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public)  Additional information has been included in the ‘Context’ chapter regarding the National Plan to End homelessness including relevant local metrics that will be required for the Outcomes Framework.  Specific Key Performance Targets have been added for each of the five priorities.  The order of priorities 1 and 2 have been reversed. ‘Resident focussed homelessness services’ is now Priority 1. Although all priorities carry equal weight, this is more in keeping with the Council’s overall vision of ‘Putting Residents First’.  Adopting an empathetic approach has been added to Priority 1: Resident focused homelessness Services and the following additional actions have been included: o Communications: We will review how we communicate with our residents to provide increased clarity in how homelessness services are delivered. o Compassionate Response: All staff engaging with homeless or potentially homeless households will receive training in trauma-informed and empathetic communication, enabling them to recognise vulnerabi lity, reduce stigma, and provide a respectful, person-centred service at every point of contact. o Triage: Strengthen triage and follow up processes to minimise repeat presentations and prevent premature case closure. o Duty to Refer: Use the process to maint ain engagement with referral agencies for longer periods of time.  The following additional actions have been included under Priority 3: Support Access to Safe, Suitable, Sustainable Accommodation: o Develop an assurance framework for safety compliance and st andards of housing provided across housing tenures and including temporary housing. o Review and update the existing policy for temporary accommodation and private rented sector offers. o Engage with landlords to share understanding regarding responsibilities under Renters’ Rights Act and opportunities that this may bring for greater partnering.  The following additional actions have been included under Priority 4: Targeted housing pathways for single homeless, rough sleepers and other groups o Public health related housing need: Consider provision to meet the particular needs of some individuals where shared accommodation may not be appropriate e.g., those under treatment for tuberculosis or where there are specific high -risk needs making shared schemes untenable. o Community Impact: Provide clear information to residents on how to report concerns, engage in local solutions, and understand the Council's enforcement powers in areas affected by rough sleeping or antisocial behaviour.  A reference has been made to over -representation of people from the LGBTQ+ community and those who are neuro-divergent amongst rough sleepers. The following additional action has been included under Priority 5: Modern data led cost effective services. o Data Collection Analysis: A comprehen sive review of data sources and collection methods, including from partner organisations, will be undertaken. This will incorporate equalities data. Equality Impact Assessment 24. An Equality Impact Assessment has been completed and is attached at Appendix 4. This concludes that the strategy will have positive impacts for all groups of households. The Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) consultation results show differences in the extent to which respondents agree with the priorities in the strategy; but overall, the strategy is strongly suppo rted by most respondents. This is particularly so for older adults, women, and global majority ethnic groups. The impact of the strategy on those with protected characteristics will be monitored annually. Financial Implications The General Fund budget for the Homelessness Prevention & Lettings service meets the costs of the Council's statutory duties in this area, and has a budgeted gross cost of £ 19,206k in 2025/26. A £6,854k temporary accommodation (TA) pressure was reported against client groups included in the MTFS TA model (General Needs, Rough Sleepers and other cohorts) in M9- 2025- 26. The risk of further overspend in 2025/26 against homelessness costs remains high given the rising levels of homeless presentations and the challenges in securing suitable alternative accommodation to prevent homelessness, particularly in the private rented sector. Budget Proposals for 2026/27 recognised the exceptionally challenging environment in which the budget has been prepared. Members highlighted the significant financial pressures arising from national asylum and resettlement responsibilities, including costs associated with asylum presentations and the Chagos Islander settlement, for which the Council is not fully or sustainably reimbursed. These externally driven pressures continue to place a disproportionate burden on Residents’ Services, particularly housing and temporary accommodation. It is noted that a proposed net increase of approximately £15.8m within Residents’ Services is driven largely by unavoidable demand pressures, particularly homelessness . The scale of the challenge due to continued focus on controlling temporary accommodation costs, securing private rented sector supply and increasing the provision of social rented homes has been taken into consideration in setting the 2026/27 budget. The emphasis on prevention, move-on pathways and partnership working has been welcomed, while recognising that many drivers of demand remain outside the Council’s control. The Government announced the draft Local Government finance settlement figures on 17 December 2025, the data from which w as built into the Council’s consultation budget issued to the December Cabinet and published on 23 December 2025. On 9 February 2026, the Government released the final Local Government settlement. In the final settlement, the additional funding to the Council came through as an increase to the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping grants and the total for those two grants amounted to £18.4m over a period of three years from 2026/27 to 2028/29. RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION The benefit or impact upon Hillingdon residents, service users and communities The Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strateg y has a direct bearing on the Council’s vison of Putting Our Residents First’. It sets out plans for the prevention of homelessness and rough sleeping, and for securing accommodation and support for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) An Equalities Impact Assessment (see Appendix 4) has been completed and concludes that the strategy will have a positive impact for all groups of households through actions to prevent homelessness and increase accommodation supply. Consultation & Engagement carried out The strategy has been subject to a wide-ranging consultation process with staff, partner organisations and residents. This is summarised in the body of this report and fully detailed in a consultation report at Appendix 3. CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS Corporate Finance Corporate Finance have reviewed this report and concur with the Financial Implications set out above, noting the recommendations to approve the adoption of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 -2030, alongside the associated Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Review. Furthermore, it is noted there is no direct financial impact in relation to the recommendations contained within the report, however, the Strategy is intended to support the mitigation of future cost pressures on temporary accommodation where demand remains volatile due to externa l factors. As at Month 9 the Temporary Accommodation service were reporting an adverse variance of £6,854k, with this being a national pressure, but with Hillingdon particularly impacted by having Heathrow within its boundaries having a material impact on supply and demand. The consultation rea ffirmed the significant operational and financial pressures arising from sustained temporary accommodation demand and the importance of strengthened prevention, improved triage and clearer performance management to support more effective control of demand. The Strategy has therefore been updated to reflect this feedback, including strengthened resident-focused practice, enhanced communication processes and improved actions around accommodation stand ards and landlord engagement, which are expected to support longer-term cost mitigation. The Council’s budget strategy approved in February 2026, contains an increase in the budget strategy effectively aiming to fund the additional growth currently in the system along with forecasted demand. The demand , cost and measures contained within this strategy will be monitored through the demand led financial and activity -based model as part of the established Monthly Monitoring Cycle and will inform the wider future MTFS refresh. Legal Legal Services confirm that pursuant to sections 1-3 of the Homelessness Act 2002, the Council must also ensure that it publishes a new homelessness strategy every 5 years after a formal review. The Council’s previous homelessness strategy covered the period 2019 to 2024, thus a new strategy was due. The review and recommended strategy are included at Appendices 1 and 2 respectively. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) The Council has various duties under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 towards applicants who are homeless or thr eatened with homelessness. Under the Homeless Reduction Act 2017, the Council is further required to intervene and prevent homelessness. The Council must also have regard to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s ‘Homelessness code of guidance for local authorities’ (last updated 4 December 2025) . The recommended strategy addresses how the Council intends to deliver its homelessness functions. The body of this report also addresses recent legislative reforms that address homelessness , such as the Renters’ Rights Act and the Supported Housing (Regulatory Oversight) Act, and how these have informed the recommended strategy. Section 3 of the Homelessness Act 2002 addresses the content of a homelessness strategy and what the Council must have regard to when formulating it. It requires the Council to consult such public or local authorities, voluntary organisations or other persons as they consider appropriate hence the consultation exercise addressed in this report and in further detail in Appendix 3. For a consultation to be lawful, it must fulfil the established public law principles on consultation, namely fairness and adequacy, which are mainly defined by the 4 Gunning principles: a. Consultations must occur while proposals are still at a formative stage b. Sufficient information needs to be supplied to consultees to give the consultation ‘intelligent consideration’ c. There needs to be an adequate time for the consultees to consider the proposal and respond d. Conscientious consideration must be given to the consultation responses before decisions are made In particular, the decision maker, when deciding whether to approve the recommended strategy for adoption, must be satisfied that all consultation responses have been considered. This report addresses how the proposed strategy has been amended following the consultation. In carrying out its homelessness functions, the Council, pursuant to section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998, must not act in a way that is contrary to any rights protected by the European Convention of Human Rights. The Council must also ensure it is acting in a manner compliant with the public sector equality duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. To this end, an equality impact assessment has been conducted and is included at Appendix 4. The public sector equality duty is an ongoing duty, so the Council must continuously monitor the position. BACKGROUND PAPERS  Report from Resident Services ’ Select Committee – Homeless Prevention and the Customer Journey, Cabinet 26 June 2025, Agenda item 6  Minutes of the Residents’ Services Select Committee 18 February 2026  Homelessness Act 2002

Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 1 Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 Appendix 1 Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 2 Contents For eword 3 Introduction 5 Context 7 What we know about homelessness in Hillingdon 11 Priority One: Resident focussed homelessness services 18 Priority Two: Early and sustained prevention of homelessness 22 Priority Three: Support access to safe, suitable and sustainable accommodation 27 Priority Four: Targeted h ousing pathways for single homeless , rough sleepers and other groups 32 Priority Five: Modern, data -led and cost -effective services 37 Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 3 Foreword Homelessness and rough sleeping are among the most urgent and visible challenges facing our communities today and London is at the centre of the homelessness crisis. On 31st March 2025, of the 131 thousand homeless households in England in temporary accommodation, more than half were in London. Spending by councils in England on temporary accommodation reached £2.8 billion in 2024-25, up 25% from the year before. Outer-London boroughs like Hillingdon, face significant housing needs and a critical shortage of affordable housing. As a port borough and a hub for asylum hotels and recently for Chargossian families, who have a route to British nationality in place, Hillingdon faces additional and unsustainable pressures. The levels of asylum seekers/refugees and other new arrivals, places strain on already limited housing resources and rough sleeping, exacerbating the challenges of providing adequate accommodation and support services. In Hillingdon, we are determined to tackle these issues head-on with compassion, innovation, and a relentless focus on prevention. This strategy sets out our vision for a borough where homelessness is rare, brief, and non- recurring. It reflects our commitment to putting residents first— ensuring that every individual who faces or is at risk of homelessness is treated with dignity, empathy, and respect. It also recognises the complex and evolving landscape in which we operate. Loss of private rented sector lettings is the most frequent reason for approaches to the council regarding homelessness and by far the most common reason for households becoming homeless and needing to be housed in temporary accommodation. Other key reasons for homelessness approaches are no longer being able to stay with family and friends and movement out of Home Office accommodation. Our services are being shaped to respond appropriately. We are also aware that the causes of homelessness are varied and often deeply rooted. That is why this strategy prioritises early intervention, tailored support, and strong partnerships across council services, voluntary organisations, health providers, and the wider community. It builds on the progress we have made through initiatives such as the development of housing pathways for rough sleepers and advances made in delivering our Temporary Accommodation Reduction Strategy and our plan to reduce the budgetary impact of homelessness and adverse impacts on the lives of those affected. To reduce the use and unsustainable cost of temporary accommodation, workstreams are focused on increasing early intervention and preventions and on increasing the supply of both temporary and settled accommodation for homeless residents in the private rented and social sectors The private rented sector is the main source of housing for homeless households. The private rented market is changing and to avoid costly nightly paid accommodation we need to review our offer and incentives to attract the larger and institutional parties who will provide stability and longer term housing options. Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 4 We are building on our existing relationships with private sector landlords and are actively seeking new partners to increase the availability of private rented accommodation for homeless residents, including longer- term leasing arrangements for groups of properties. We are exploring alternative options for direct housing provision by the council through existing arrangements and/or new company structures. We are proud of the work already underway—from securing new funding and expanding supported housing, to strengthening our services through staff development. We are expanding the supply of council homes through acquisitions, development and regeneration and are working with Housing Associations to encourage further development. We make best use of existing homes through initiatives to reduce under-occupation and to tackle housing fraud. We recognise that there is much more to do. This strategy sets out a clear roadmap for the next five years, with goals and measurable outcomes to guide our efforts. Councillor Steve Tuckwell Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing and Growth Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 5 Introduction The Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026-2031 sets out how we will work to prevent and relieve homelessness and remove the need to sleep rough. It outlines five strategic priorities which will direct the work of the council and inform our work with partners over the next five years. Our Strategic Priorities Priority One: Resident focussed homelessness services Priority Two: Early and sustained prevention of homelessness Priority Three: Support access to safe, suitable and sustainable accommodation Priority Four: Targeted housing pathways for single homeless, rough sleepers and other groups Priority Five: Modern, data-led and cost-effective services The strategy has been produced after engagement with a range of local stakeholders and it is informed by best practice and the wider policy and legislative environment. We have completed a comprehensive homelessness review which evidences the extent of the challenges faced by Hillingdon in relation to homelessness and rough sleeping and identifies key trends and challenges. Key findings are covered under ‘What we know about Homelessness in Hillingdon’ below. Our Vision for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Putting residents first: a compassionate, preventative and empowering approach to tackling homelessness and rough sleeping, with access to appropriate accommodation and support We envision a borough where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring. Our commitment is to put residents first, ensuring that every individual facing or at risk of homelessness is treated with respect, dignity, and empathy. We will prioritise prevention, intervening early to stop homelessness before it starts, and we will support people to help themselves, building resilience and independence through tailored support and opportunities. We recognise that appropriate accommodation and support are fundamental to achieving lasting solutions and enabling people to rebuild their lives. We will deliver this vision through: • Respectful, person-centred and trauma informed services that listen to and involve residents in shaping their own solutions. • Early intervention and prevention strategies that tackle the root causes of homelessness. • Provision of safe, suitable, and sustainable accommodation, matched Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 6 with the right level of support to meet individual needs. • Sound financial management, ensuring that resources are used effectively and sustainably to maximise impact. • Empowerment and partnership, helping residents build the skills, confidence, and connections they need to thrive. • Collaborative working across council departments, voluntary sector partners, and communities to create a joined-up response. Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 7 Context Major Shifts Since the 2019 Strategy COVID-19 Disruption: The pandemic reshaped service delivery, accelerating digital transformation and remote working. Unlike many councils, Hillingdon maintained face-to-face support for homeless individuals, preserving continuity of care. ‘Everyone In’ & Rough Sleeping Pathway: The national initiative led to 160 rough sleepers being housed from Heathrow. Olympic House was leased as a 33-bed first-stage accommodation and multi-service hub. This marked a turning point in Hillingdon’s rough sleeping response. Funding Landscape: The Rough Sleeper Initiative (RSI) enabled multi-agency partnership development. Additional funding from public health and accommodation grants expanded capacity, especially for substance misuse and wraparound support. National Homelessness Challenges • High levels of homelessness and households housed in temporary accommodation. • The cost of temporary accommodation reaching crisis levels with local authorities less and less able to spend funding on homelessness prevention. • Increasing numbers of households with children in B&B with shared facilities and the number that have been there for more than the six-week statutory limit. • Placements made a long distance from communities, schools, work, families and friends. • Rents growing far faster than benefit levels. • The impact of providing asylum accommodation on the ability to tackle homelessness. • Insufficient oversight of supported housing with some providing sub- standard housing with little support, supervision or care. • There are concerns that welfare reforms could increase poverty and the risk of homelessness. Evictions from private sector housing are the most common reason for homelessness approaches to local authorities. Housing Market Dynamics & Affordability Challenges Private Rented Sector (PRS) Pressures: Hillingdon’s average rent rose to £1,423 in 2024/25 — 12% higher than the previous year and £429 above the England average. Despite being relatively affordable within London (ranked 28th of 33 boroughs), affordability remains a major barrier for low- income households. Local Housing Allowance (LHA): Re-pegged to the 30th percentile in 2024, but not updated in 2025, creating a widening gap between LHA and actual rents. Council data shows significant shortfalls in properties available at LHA rates, especially for larger households (e.g., £788 gap for 4- bed homes). Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 8 Structural Market Changes: Small landlords are exiting the market rapidly — 290,000 PRS homes sold (2021–2024), while only 130,000 new Build to Rent homes were delivered. London PRS listings have dropped 41% since 2017, with larger homes hardest hit. Only 5% of listings were affordable to LHA recipients in mid-2024. The PRS is evolving with professional and institutional investors stepping in. These buyers are well-capitalised, often operating with lower levels of debt and are focused on sustainability, operational efficiency and long-term capital appreciation rather than short term yields. Demand for rental housing continues to outstrip supply, supporting rental growth and underpinning long-term investment. Legal and Policy Developments Key Case Law: Croydon v Imam: Financial constraints do not excuse councils from statutory duties. Hajjaj v Westminster: Suitability assessments must be evidence-based. Ciftci v Haringey: Reinforced procedural rigour in intentional homelessness decisions. Renters’ Rights Act A major reform aimed at improving security and fairness for tenants in the private rented sector. It will abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, meaning landlords must provide legitimate reasons—such as rent arrears or needing to sell the property—to end a tenancy. The Act introduces rolling periodic tenancies, strengthens protections against retaliatory evictions, and enhances tenant rights, including the ability to request pets and challenge poor housing conditions. It also establishes a Private Rented Sector Database and Landlord Ombudsman, applies the Decent Homes Standard to private rentals, and bans discrimination against tenants on benefits or with children. These changes aim to reduce homelessness risk by making tenancies more secure and improving housing standards although landlord withdrawal and court delays may offset benefits. The Act may well continue to impact on supply and procurement as more landlords leave the market, particularly those with small portfolios. There may other consequences as landlords become increasingly selective about tenants and seek alternative eviction routes. Ending of private rented sector evictions is a major cause of homelessness. It accounted for the highest number of approaches to Hillingdon’s Homelessness services in 2024/25 and by far the highest number of bookings into temporary accommodation. Although the Renters’ Rights Act is intended to protect tenants there are considerable risks. Without court reform many landlords believe they will be left stranded if tenants stop paying rent. If possession becomes too slow or uncertain more landlords may simply exit the market leaving fewer homes and upward pressure on rents. Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 9 Supported Housing Oversight (SHROA 2023): The Act aims to raise standards in a part of the housing system perceived to lack oversight. It introduces licensing and national standards for supported housing providers, motivated by concerns that exemptions from housing benefit subsidy caps were being exploited by some providers. Councils must conduct needs assessments and develop supported housing strategies, improving regulation and quality assurance. The intent of the legislation is supported but there remains a lot of uncertainty regarding the impact of the legislation. Many people at risk of homelessness have support needs and over the past six years the share of households owed a duty with at least one identified support need has steadily increased across the country from 45% in 2019 to 58% in early 2025. 1 1 Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, ‘Statutory homelessness England level time series “live tables”’ , GOV .UK, 22 July National Plan to End Homelessnesson A cross-government Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy was published in December 2025 with a focus on prevention and long-term planning and recognising the leading role of local councils in responding to homelessness. A new Outcomes Framework for local government identifies priority outcomes for local government across service areas including for homelessness, rough sleeping and multiple disadvantage. Local Outcome Metrics • Households with children in temporary accommodation • Families in B&B over 6 weeks • Success at preventing and relieving homelessness o Sub metric: for those experiencing multiple disadvantage. • People sleeping rough on a single night • People sleeping rough over the month are long term rough sleepers 2025, www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data- sets/live-tables-on-homelessness Councils will be required as a condition of funding to publish and regularly update their action plans. These must include local targets against each of the Outcomes Framework and set out how the council will achieve those targets. Government Housing Strategy also expected 2025/26. Repeal of the Vagrancy Act (1824) to decriminalise rough sleeping. Allocation of Social Housing Regulations 2025: have exempted domestic abuse survivors and care leavers under 25 from local connection tests. Fair Funding Review 2.0 to include separating temporary accommodation funding from Homelessness Prevention Grant, creating ring-fenced preventions stream. Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 10 Mayor of London’s Rough Sleeping Plan (2025–2030) Aims to eliminate rough sleeping by 2030 through prevention, early intervention, and sustainable housing pathways. Key initiatives: Ending Homelessness Hubs, prevention phoneline, outreach expansion, and refurbishment of 500 social homes via ‘Homes Off the Streets’ . Government Investment Commitments: £100m for homelessness prevention. £950m for Local Authority Housing Fund (Round 4) to reduce reliance on B&Bs and hotels. £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme (2025–2035), with 60% for social rent. London receives 30% of funding despite having 56% of TA households. Demand Pressures & Vulnerable Groups Asylum seekers/refugees: Applications nationally surged to 109,000 in 2025. Hotel placements in the borough have increased local demand on homelessness services. Policy changes (e.g., pause on refugee family reunion) may lessen future strain on services to some extent, but new arrivals are a considerable pressure on homelessness resources. Policy Landscape Housing Supply Constraints Delivery Challenges: Only 3,991 affordable homes started in London last year — second-lowest on record. Viability issues due to land costs, interest rates, build cost inflation, and fire safety regulations (e.g., second staircase requirement). Provider Pressures: Housing associations are scaling back development to focus on existing stock. Retrofitting for fire safety, damp, and mould is diverting resources from new builds. For-Profit Registered Providers (FPRPs): Rapid growth expected — current 43,100 homes projected to triple by 2030. May help fill gaps left by traditional providers, especially for social rent. Technology and Homelessness Services AI & Digital Tools: Potential to identify homelessness risk factors, coordinate support, and match services to needs. Risks include misinformation, bias, and undermining person-centred approaches. Digital Exclusion: A growing barrier for those in TA or on low incomes. Limited access to secure connectivity affects ability to manage benefits, health appointments, and engage with support services. Landlord Practices: Increased use of digital tenant screening tools (e.g., risk profiling algorithms). May disadvantage benefit recipients, those in non-standard employment, or with limited digital literacy. Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 11 A multi-year settlement is expected from 26/27. The formula for distributing the Homelessness Prevention Grant is being reformed and will shift the focus towards prevention. It is likely that the RSP&RG will become part of the HPG. The funding will be split into two components – Temporary Accommodation demand and costs and Prevention and Relief demand and costs. The existing split of 49% for prevention/relief and 51% for TA will shift to a greater proportion for prevention/relief. The TA element may be consolidated into the Local Government Finance Settlement. Ending rough sleeping in London In May 2025 the Mayor launched his new plan of action on rough sleeping, promising to break the ‘vicious cycle’ of street homelessness and to put London on a pathway to end rough sleeping for good by 2030. The Plan is framed around three key steps to achieve this ambition. • Provide leadership to join together services and make sure people can get the help they need, as early and as simply as possible. • Prevent rough sleeping wherever possible. • Deliver rapid, sustainable routes away from the streets Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 12 What we know about homelessness in Hillingdon There are roughly 109 thousand households in Hillingdon. During April 2024 to March 2025, 7306 contacted the council because they were either already homeless or they were threatened with homelessness. This number has more than doubled over a 3 year period and is likely to increase again in the current year. Three reasons account for 58% of all approaches: • Family and friend evictions • Evictions from private rented sector housing • Ending of Home Office accommodation A homelessness prevention or relief duty was accepted for 2053 households, around a third for prevention of homelessness and the other two thirds for relief when the resident had already become homeless. 2Local authority revenue expenditure and financing England 2024 to 2025 Nightly paid temporary accommodation The number of households booked into nightly paid temporary accommodation during 2024/25 was 740. • 208 with a 1 bedroom need, • 269 with a 2 bedroom need, • 198 with a 3 bedroom need, and • 69 with a 4 bedroom need Private sector evictions are by far the most common reason, accounting for 42% of these bookings, and three quarters of those are for families with children. Of all 3 bedroom bookings, 58% are due to private sector evictions and this rises further to 82% for 4 bedroom bookings. Other prominent reasons for nightly paid temporary accommodation bookings are domestic abuse, ending of Home Office accommodation and friends and family evictions. The number of homeless households in temporary accommodation on 1 April 2025 was 1,562 of which 796 were in nightly paid accommodation. The cost of providing temporary accommodation has increased markedly in Hillingdon as it has in local authorities across the country. Councils in England spent £2.8bn on temporary accommodation in 2024/25 – an increase of 25 per cent in just 12 months. 2 Reducing the number of residents placed in and the cost of nightly paid temporary accommodation is an imperative for the borough. Declining availability in the private rented sector Since our last homelessness strategy, housing affordability has worsened, private renting is more expensive and the gap between rents and the amount of benefit that can be claimed to cover housing costs has grown. Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 13 Small, individual landlords are leaving the housing market at an accelerated pace driven by rising costs, tax changes, ageing landlord demographics and forthcoming legislative changes under the Renters’ Rights Act. A study by Savills and the London School of Economics 3 found that the availability of private rented homes had dropped by 41%, with the steepest decline in larger properties. The contraction is most severe in the more affordable areas - Hillingdon is one of the most affordable London boroughs ranking 28th out of 33 boroughs. If the private rented sector continues to shrink, the pressure on social housing, already severe, will continue to grow. However, not all types of landlords are in decline. Corporate landlords and institutional investors benefit from economies of scale, streamlined management, and lower financing costs, making them more resilient to economic and legislative pressures. 3 Supply of Private Rented Sector Accommodation in London New arrivals from overseas There has been a significant increase in the number of people claiming asylum and action to speed up applications and reduce use of hotels has meant additional pressures for homelessness services. There has been higher migration for humanitarian reasons via bespoke schemes such as those for Ukrainians and Afghans. Chagossian families, that have a right under the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 to apply to be registered as British citizens have been arriving following the agreement that Diego Garcia will no longer remain a British Indian Ocean Territory. Rough sleeping in Hillingdon Hillingdon has a high number of rough sleepers compared to other London boroughs. During 2024/25 there were 793 CHAIN 4 verified rough sleepers – 301 at Heathrow airport and 492 in the rest of the borough. The number at the airport is similar 4 CHAIN (Combined Homelessness and Information Network) is a multi-agency database recording to the previous year, but the number in the rest of the borough increased by 66%. • 315 rough sleepers had a mental health support need, • 145 had an alcohol related support need, • 155 had a drugs related support need, and • 217 had more than one of these needs. • 17 were previously in the armed forces • 86 had been in prison • 21 had been in care Although data is not available, we are aware that people from LGBTQ+ communities and those who are neuro-divergent are also disproportionately over-represented amongst rough sleepers. We have a growing cohort of people facing homelessness and rough sleeping after being moved on from Home Office accommodation. An increasing number are becoming street homeless as the council struggles to meet statutory obligations amid funding shortfalls and rising demand. information about people sleeping rough and the wider street population in London. Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 14 Temporary Accommodation Reduction Hillingdon Council already has in place a strategy to reduce temporary accommodation. The associated Delivery Plan has four workstreams: • Increase prevention and reduce new temporary accommodation placements • Increase access to alternative housing options • Reduce cost of temporary accommodation • Increase move-on into social housing Review of Housing advice and Homelessness Service • The Council’s Cabinet has approved taking forward recommendations made by the Residents’ Services Select Committee Review into the Council’s Housing Advice and Homelessness Service. Recommendations are made in the following areas: o Enhancing Resident Experience o Managing expectations and process efficiency o Staff support & training o Partnerships & collaboration Stakeholder engagement – Emerging themes Engagement with internal and external colleagues and partners in developing this consultation draft has been carried out. The following themes have been highlighted in these discussions: • Prioritising prevention at an early stage. • Integration of employment support with housing services. • Addressing needs of some specific groups – including households: with an autistic member; under age 35; that are benefit capped, ex-offenders, that have no recourse to public funds, and victims of domestic abuse. • Improved partnering including planning and coordination of services, data sharing and referral pathways. • More joint training, protocols and communication channels with internal and external partners. • Engagement wider range of voluntary and faith based organisations • Ensure that residents are provided with information to enable them to make an informed choice about realistic, sustainable options. Unaffordable housing, especially for single adults combines with a reluctance to consider other locations. • Capture learning from complaints and reviews. • Structured approach to gathering resident feedback • Framework to promote staff wellbeing and prevent burnout • Increase accommodation options for both temporary and permanent housing across tenures. To include longer term leasing options. planned acquisitions and development Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 15 • Address concerns around the quality of accommodation and anti-social behaviour. • Develop an engagement plan to build relationships with corporate landlords. Address concerns regarding S21 changes causing landlords to exit the market. • Coordinate work to identify HMO landlords early and to work with them. • Address concerns regarding increased numbers of predominantly single male asylum seekers/refugees and fairness of the particular pressure on Hillingdon. • Lack of resources for non-priority need homelessness groups is impacting on rough sleeping. • Need for mental health outreach services • Consider how a Housing First model could work in Hillingdon. • Focus on service delivery to ensure professionalism, consistency and efficiency. Better collaboration between teams. Clear plans and guidelines. Clear governance and decision making structures. • Need for a quality control and performance management culture. • Develop existing work to enhance data capabilities and allow for access to data on demand. Explore opportunities for use of AI in service delivery. The data gathered during our Homelessness Review, existing plans and the feedback from internal and external colleagues and partners has helped to inform our proposed priorities and goals. More detailed action plans to deliver the Homelessness Strategy will be prepared on an annual basis. Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 16 Key Stats Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 17 Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 18 Strategic Priority 1: Resident focused homelessness services We are committed to delivering homelessness services that are compassionate, empowering and responsive to the needs of our residents. We believe that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity, to understand their rights and responsibilities, and to receive high quality support from well trained staff. Hillingdon Council has adopted the following set of values to guide how we engage with our communities, our residents and each other. Respect: Collaboration: Efficient: Integrity: Open and honest. We will work to make sure that our staff working with homeless people and those threatened with homelessness embody these values and that they adopt an empathetic approach Current service provision Our Residents’ Services Select Committee has undertaken a review of our Housing Advice and Homelessness Service. The primary aims were to identify ways to improve the experience of those presenting as homeless, better manage their expectations, enhance satisfaction, streamline processes and ultimately provide improved support to prevent homelessness. Key findings from the review included: • The importance of prevention and early intervention in addressing homelessness. • The need for improved communication and empathy from housing officers. • The necessity for better systems and technology for case handovers. • The challenges faced by victims of domestic abuse in accessing housing support. This strategy will take forward the recommendations from the review which cover: • Enhancing Resident Experience • Managing Expectations and Process Efficiency • Staff Support & Training • Partnerships and Collaboration Equalities and diversity We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity, celebrating and valuing diversity, eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation, and promoting good relations. Complaints Our Corporate complaints policy and procedure enables complaints to be made quickly and easily 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Complaints reports analyse complaints received across the council. It is however our intention to have a stronger framework in place, within homelessness services to ensure that learning from complaints and translating that learning into service Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 19 improvements is part of our standard practice. Priority 1: Resident focussed homelessness services – Our Goals Residents are clear about their rights and responsibilities and are respected, understood and supported We will ensure that every resident who engages with our homelessness services feels heard, valued and informed. This means: • Communications: We will review how we communicate with our residents to provide increased clarity in how homelessness services are delivered. • Residents’ Charter: We will develop a clear, accessible guide explaining each stage of the homelessness support process. This will set expectations, reduce confusion and address common questions. • Welcoming Environment: We will reconfigure the Housing Reception to be more empathetic and welcoming. • Compassionate Response: All staff engaging with homeless or potentially homeless households will receive training in trauma-informed and empathetic communication, enabling them to recognise vulnerability, reduce stigma, and provide a respectful, person-centred service at every point of contact. • Efficient Appointments: We will improve appointment systems by exploring automated text reminders and a self- check-in system at reception. These changes are intended to reduce missed appointments and improve flow through the service. • Quality assurance: We will adopt quality control standards and procedures to continuously monitor service delivery. • Feedback Mechanisms: We will gather resident feedback on an ongoing basis to inform service improvements and we will promote co-production opportunities. • Complaints: We will strengthen our complaints process, ensuring residents know how to raise concerns and that we have mechanisms to learn from complaints and reviews to improve services. • Document Review: We will continue to update resident facing materials to ensure clarity and understanding. Staff are equipped to provide excellent services We will invest in our workforce to ensure that they are confident, capable and supported to deliver high- quality, person-centred and trauma informed services. This includes: • Training and Development: We will deliver joint training with partners, including trauma informed approaches, safeguarding and legal duties. • Supervision and Wellbeing: All staff will receive regular casework supervision and will have access to tools and policies that support mental health and burnout. • Learning Culture: We will create a learning environment to share good practice and promote continuous improvement. • Professionalism and Consistency: We will embed clear service standards, protocols and guidelines to ensure consistent delivery. Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 20 • Triage: Strengthen triage and follow up processes to minimise repeat presentations and prevent premature case closure. • Duty to Refer: Use the process to maintain engagement with referral agencies for longer periods of time. • Effective Case Management: We aim to make sure that every homeless applicant will have a named case worker. We will actively communicate to provide advice and assistance throughout. • Staff Voice: We will actively promote staff involvement in service design. This will include creating a forum for staff to participate and encouraging use of the suggestion box system for ideas to improve service efficiency and resident experience. Strengthening Partnerships We recognise that homelessness cannot be tackled in isolation. Our partners play a vital role in supporting residents and delivering joined-up services. We are committed to strengthening these relationships through meaningful engagement, shared planning and clear coordination. We will: • Recognise and Value Contributions: Acknowledge the expertise, resources, and commitment that partners bring to supporting residents, and celebrate collaborative successes. • Shared protocols and integrated systems: We will ensure working processes are in place across partners to ensure timely and appropriate support for residents, reducing duplication and improving outcomes. • Referrals across departments: A streamlined referral system will be implemented to improve coordination between housing, children’s services, adult social care, public health, and voluntary sector partners. • Engage Actively: Facilitate regular meetings, forums, and joint planning sessions with internal and external partners to share updates, align priorities, and build trust. • Coordinate Activities: Improve planning and coordination of services to reduce duplication, close gaps, and ensure residents receive timely, holistic support. • Forward Planning: Work with partners to anticipate future challenges, plan strategically, and respond proactively to emerging needs. • Longer-Term Commissioning: Where possible, we will move toward longer- term contracts with voluntary and community sector partners, underpinned by clear outcomes, performance indicators, and robust monitoring arrangements. This will support service continuity, innovation, and stronger relationships. • Shared Learning and Development: Promote joint training, peer learning, and shared resources to build capacity and consistency across organisations. Outcomes for residents • Residents feel respected, heard, understood and supported throughout their homelessness journey leading to higher satisfaction with the service and staff interactions. • Residents understand their rights, responsibilities and what to expect at each stage and they receive timely updates and reminders reducing missed appointments and delays. Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 21 • Improved support for complex needs including mental health and substance misuse. • Services are inclusive and accessible. Residents with language barriers or additional needs can access services equitably and residents are able to provide feedback on services received. • Residents are supported by well-trained empathetic staff and benefit from coordinated support across council and partner services. • Residents build resilience and independence Measuring Success We will monitor progress through: • A “One Council" approach to cross- departmental collaboration • Resident satisfaction and feedback mechanisms • Staff training uptake • Joint training manuals developed and disseminated across housing and social care • Staff satisfaction and wellbeing surveys • Quality assurance and case audit outcomes • Regularly updated Personal Housing Plans • Improved referral and partnership data • Reduction in complaints and improved resolution times • Positive outcomes in homelessness prevention and sustained tenancies • Delivery against commissioned service outcomes and KPIs Key Performance Targets • Number of Stage 1 and Stage 2 complaints and resolution time. • Number/percentage of reviews upheld • Number/percentage of triage cases over 14 days • Number/percentage of relief duty cases over 56 days • Number/percentage of cases with a Personal Housing Plan • Annual Personal Housing Plan review for main duty cases Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 22 Strategic Priority 2: Early and sustained prevention of homelessness The best way to reduce homelessness is to prevent it happening in the first place. Hillingdon’s approach to homelessness is rooted in early intervention, targeted support, and sustained tenancy outcomes. We provide signposting information on our website for residents in housing need who are able to self-help and also provide residents with tailored advice and information to empower them to make informed decisions about their housing options. We aim in particular to target upstream preventative measures to achieve most impact. This includes prevention activity designed to address the main causes of homelessness and to address the needs of particular groups of residents. Private rented sector evictions are by far the most frequent reason for households in Hillingdon to become homeless and require temporary accommodation. We want to make sure all avenues to relieve the threat of homelessness are available as soon as our service becomes aware of the threat. This can include working with the current landlord, investigating benefit issues, and helping to locate alternative accommodation. We will track success in preventing homelessness for this reason through the numbers of prevention versus the number of relief duties and how those duties are ended. The changes being brought forward by the Renters’ Rights Act will have significant impacts for Housing Advice and Homelessness Officers. The nature of approaches is likely to change. Without the availability of Section 21 evictions use of other grounds will become more likely and there may also be an increase in illegal evictions. Current Service Provision • The Homelessness Team works collaboratively with applicants, their support networks—including family and friends—and landlords to offer guidance and assistance aimed at preventing homelessness and maintaining tenancies where appropriate. • We work in close partnership with hospital discharge teams to ensure appropriate support is in place for individuals transitioning from hospital into the community. • We work in close partnership with relevant agencies to prevent and address domestic abuse. This includes funding the Sanctuary Scheme, which enables victims to remain safely in their own homes. Additionally, we are actively progressing towards achieving Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) accreditation • Housing staff actively participate in a range of multi-agency forums, including the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC), which coordinates risk management strategies for victims and survivors identified as being at the Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 23 highest risk of harm due to domestic abuse. • The Housing Protocol for Care Leavers has been updated and includes direct offers of accommodation as well the implementation of a panel to determine best course of action. • Hillingdon has established a Single Homelessness and Rough Sleepers Group that includes Public Health, CNWL NHS Trust, ARCH, social care colleagues and other partners. This multi-agency forum coordinates responses to complex cases and ensures wraparound support. • We successfully secured funding for the Accommodation for Ex-Offenders (AfEO) scheme. Through this programme, we work collaboratively with partners to support individuals with offending histories who are at risk of homelessness, helping them access suitable accommodation with a strong focus on tenancy sustainment. Universal Advice – Targeted Advice Hillingdon’s homelessness services provide both universal and targeted advice. Universal advice is delivered through the Housing Needs and Homelessness Service, including triage, reception, and online resources. However, targeted advice is increasingly prioritised for high-risk groups such as care leavers, asylum seekers/refugees, victims of domestic abuse, and those with complex support needs. The P3 service for young people and the tailored Personal Housing Plans are examples of targeted interventions. The Council is exploring digital tools to help residents self-assess eligibility and receive tailored guidance earlier in their journey. Homeless Prevention Fund A dedicated Homeless Prevention Fund is being reviewed to support upstream interventions. This includes financial incentives to retain tenancies, prevent family evictions, and support “Find Your Own” schemes. The fund will be used flexibly to reduce new placements into temporary accommodation and support sustainable housing outcomes. Staff are encouraged to use the fund proactively, and a consistent framework is being developed to ensure equitable access and impact tracking. Joint Working with Social Care – Pipeline for Care Leavers Joint working with Children’s Services is being strengthened to improve housing pathways for care leavers. The review highlights the need for clearer protocols, better communication, and earlier planning. The Council is working to embed housing officers within social care teams and develop a shared pipeline of supported and general needs accommodation. Partnerships with P3 and YMCA are key components of this pathway, offering tailored support and transitional housing. Links with Social Care, Health Services, and Public Health Hillingdon has established a Single Homelessness and Rough Sleepers Group that includes Public Health, CNWL NHS Trust, ARCH, and social care colleagues. This multi-agency forum coordinates responses to complex cases and ensures wraparound support. Public Health leads on the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant, and a Hospital Discharge Officer has been appointed to improve transitions from Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 24 hospital to housing. The Council is also working to align with national safeguarding guidance and improve data sharing across services. Sustaining Tenancies – Support Tenancy sustainment is a core focus of the strategy, particularly for households in temporary accommodation and those rehoused via PRS or social housing. Support includes floating support services (e.g. P3), tenancy support, and integration with employment and financial advice. The Council constantly reviews it’s Discretionary Housing Payment process to better support households at risk of arrears and subsequent eviction. Trinity’s shared housing model and YMCA’s keywork system are examples of tenancy sustainment in action helping prepare for longer term solutions. Hospitals – Protocols Protocols are being developed to improve hospital discharge processes. A dedicated Hospital Discharge Officer is now in post, working with Hillingdon Hospital and CNWL to ensure timely and appropriate housing solutions. The aim is to prevent discharge into homelessness and reduce repeat admissions. The Council is exploring joint training and referral pathways with health services to embed housing considerations into discharge planning. Prison / Probation – Protocols We will be looking at stronger protocols with probation and prison services. A significant number of rough sleepers have a history of custody, and ex-offenders face barriers in accessing housing. The Council is working to improve referral pathways, engage landlords, and develop supported housing options. Trinity and Olympic House provide accommodation for ex-offenders, and the Council is exploring Housing First models for those with multiple support needs. Asylum seekers/refugees – early work in the hotels Hillingdon has the highest concentration of asylum seekers/refugees in contingency hotel accommodation in London. A specialist asylum team works with NASS applicants before and after status decisions to prevent homelessness. Early engagement includes housing advice, reconnection planning, and coordination with Heathrow Travel Care. The Council is advocating for fairer funding and national dispersal to reduce local pressures. Rough sleeping among asylum seekers/refugees is rising, and targeted outreach is being expanded. Strategic Priority 2: Early and sustained prevention of homelessness – Our Goals Improve Access to Early Advice and Intervention • Universal advice: We will deliver universal advice through triage, reception, and online resources. • Targeted advice: This will be expanded for high-risk groups including care leavers, asylum seekers/refugees, victims of domestic abuse, and those with complex needs. • Tailored response to high volume presentations: We will focus on ensuring effective and consistent responses where homelessness is related to PRS evictions, family or friend evictions or other prominent reasons for homelessness. Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 25 • Readiness for Renters Rights legislation: Preparation for the Act’s implementation will include developing our understanding of the likely impacts and available tools. Staff will receive comprehensive training and work will be cross service to coordinate the work of Homelessness Prevention with Private Sector Enforcement. • Digital tools: Enhancements will enable residents to self-assess and to receive tailored guidance earlier. • Joint working with Children’s Services: We will strengthen our working arrangements to improve housing pathways for care leavers, including linking housing officers with colleagues in Children’s Services and developing shared accommodation pipelines. Strengthen Financial and Multi-Agency Support to Prevent Homelessness • Homeless Prevention Fund: We will review and promote proactive use of the Homeless Prevention Fund to retain tenancies and prevent family evictions. • Coordinate wraparound support: through the Single Homelessness and Rough Sleepers Group, involving Public Health, CNWL NHS Trust, ARCH, and social care. • Hospital discharge protocols: Housing considerations will be embedded into protocols, supported by a dedicated Hospital Discharge Officer. • Prison and probation services: We will develop stronger protocols with prison and probation services to support ex- offenders into housing. Support Tenancy Sustainment and Long-Term Housing Stability • Floating support: We will continue to provide floating support and tenancy management services through partners such as P3 and YMCA and our own inhouse services. • Employment and financial advice: We will engage employment support and financial support with housing services to promote long-term stability. • Discretionary Housing Payments: The process for making discretionary housing payments will be kept under review to better support households at risk. • Preparation for independent living: We will promote innovative models such as Trinity’s shared housing coaching and YMCA’s keyworker system to prepare residents for independent living. Outcomes for residents • Improved Access to Early Advice and Intervention • Strengthened Financial and Multi-Agency Support • Enhanced Tenancy Sustainment and Long-Term Stability Measuring Success • Publication of a supported housing needs assessment and strategy • Establishment of a Homelessness Forum to support coordinated and effective partnership working • Achievement of Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) accreditation • Increasing the proportion of cases addressed at the prevention stage rather than at the relief stage • Proportion of prevention and relief cases resulting in a successful outcome Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 26 • Increased move-on for individuals to independent living Key Performance Targets • Percentage of homelessness cases owed a prevention duty at initial assessment • Number/percentage of repeat applications in 12 months • Percentage of all duties owed where homelessness was prevented or relieved • Number of cases referred via Duty to Refer Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 27 Strategic Priority 3: Support access to safe, suitable, sustainable accommodation Vastly increasing the supply of settled accommodation available for homeless households is imperative to reduce the number of households currently living in nightly paid temporary accommodation. London is at the centre of a homelessness crisis with high levels of homelessness demand and supply pressures in both social and private rented sectors, record numbers of homeless households are in temporary accommodation, more than half of them in London. Housing supply is about more than numbers. We aim for suitable and sustainable placements. Safety and compliance are important to us across sectors and tenures, including in temporary accommodation. Private Rented Sector Pressures Incremental reform of the private rented sector has led to significant churn, with small-scale landlords exiting the market and rental stock becoming increasingly concentrated among professional landlords with larger portfolios. These landlords are more likely to offer settled, good quality homes, but are current incentives are not structured to attract long term landlords and investors. In London, private rented sector availability has dropped by 41% since 2017, with the steepest decline in larger properties. Demand for private sector housing remains high. During 2024/25, Hillingdon’s average rent reached £1,423 – a 12% increase year on year. The gap between average rents and the amount that can be covered by benefits ranged from an average £223 for 1 bedroom property to an average £788 for a 4 bedroom property in mid-2024 Temporary Accommodation Pressures In Hillingdon, there are in the region of 1,500 households in temporary accommodation. Over time the proportion of insecure nightly paid accommodation has increased and now makes up more than half of temporary accommodation used. We do not have any households with children in non- self-contained temporary accommodation and are committed to maintaining this. Temporary accommodation can have wide- ranging negative impacts for those living in it, Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 28 including worse outcomes for health, education and employment. It is also an unsustainable cost pressure for the council. Our Temporary Accommodation Strategy includes measures aimed at increasing prevention activity and keeping the cost of temporary accommodation secured as low as possible. We are transitioning our temporary accommodation supply towards that which is council owned or leased over a longer period to bring greater stability and reduce costs. The strategy also needs to address the shortage of supply of homes to meet housing demand. Homelessness Accommodation Demand The number of homeless families needing to be housed during the course of a year 2025/26 is estimated at 674, and this is anticipated to increase by a further 10% to 741 in 2026/27. Some of these households will find their own solution, but we forecast that 628 will require accommodation in either the social or private rented sector Our aim is to eliminate the use of nightly paid accommodation and for housing supply to keep pace with new demand from homeless households. To do this, in addition to meeting the demand arising during the year, settled accommodation is also needed for the currently 800+ households in nightly paid temporary accommodation. This is demand from homelessness households only and demand from other residents is additional to this. We need to increase supply significantly, particularly private sector supply, but also social sector supply in order to meet demand. We need to frontload meeting this demand as much as possible to achieve a rapid impact. Social Housing Supply Hillingdon Council owns approximately 10,000 homes for social renting and there are a further roughly 8,000 homes owned by Private Registered Providers (mainly Housing Associations) in the borough. During 2024/25 there were 690 social housing lettings of which 383 went to homeless households. This includes both re- lets of current social homes as they become vacant and through lettings of additional stock from new development and acquisitions of existing properties. Our target is for 500 social housing lettings to homeless households during 2025/26. This will be achieved mostly through a marked increase in acquisitions and new house building. An increased proportion of lettings will go to homeless households, and we will engage with Housing Associations working in the borough to also maximise social lettings within their housing stock. We will also consider including quotas for young people, vulnerable adults and single homeless in an annual lettings plan. Making best use of our existing homes We have a number of workstreams that are focused on using our existing council properties to better meet housing need. These include: Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 29 • Tackling Fraud – Our Counter Fraud team are active in recovering social housing properties that have been fraudulently let and in identifying when temporary accommodation is not being used as arranged for homeless households • A cash incentive scheme provides incentives for existing tenants to purchase alternative properties, freeing homes for those in need. • We have an active extension programme which modifies suitable void properties to create much needed larger homes. • A Home Release Downsizer programme includes incentives for tenants to move to smaller properties and release family homes. The council uses some of its own housing stock for temporary accommodation. Where appropriate we will consider making settled offers in the existing homes. Property Acquisitions During 2024/25 there were 228 property acquisitions completed, some, but not all of which were let to homeless households. More than half of the acquisitions were studios and 1 bedroom properties; 2 and 3 bedroom properties made up 20% each and 4 bedroom properties accounted for 4% of acquisitions. The acquisitions included a pilot programme with a company to purchase and refurbish 20 properties on our behalf. This programme has now been extended to purchase an additional 200 properties. The contract runs for 2 years, but the aim is for all of the properties to be purchased in the first year. We also have an in-house team that is continuing to purchase additional homes. The Single Homeless Accommodation Programme (SHAP) accounted for 10 of the properties purchased in 2024/25 and the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) accounted for 16 purchases in 2024/25 and will provide grant funding towards the purchase of a further 19 properties in 2025/26. For 2025/26 we have a target for 300 acquisitions to be completed in total. By focusing activity on property purchase we will be able to bring additional properties on stream quickly. In future years the balance of acquisition to new build will switch further in favour of new build. New Housing Development During 2024/25 the combined number of newly built properties for Social or London Affordable Rent was 176. Of these 19% had 1 bedroom, 69% had 2 bedrooms, 9% had 3 bedrooms and just 3% had 4 bedrooms. For 2025/26 the projected number of newly developed properties for Social or London Affordable rent is increased by 36% to 239. The new development is still weighted towards smaller properties, but a healthier proportion of 3 bedroom homes is included and a slight increase in the proportion of 4 bedroom homes. 36% have 1 bedroom, 35% have 2 bedrooms, 25% have 3 bedrooms and 4% have 4 bedrooms. Private Rented Sector We aim to increase private sector supply for both settled housing and to provide temporary accommodation. Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026 to 2030 30 Leasing Programme The Council is transitioning from a temporary accommodation portfolio significantly reliant on insecure, expensive nightly paid accommodation to a more secure and cost effective, leased based portfolio. Longer term leases for a minimum of 10 years and one day are being secured and held within the Housing Revenue Account. We are exploring the option to transfer existing leased properties used for temporary accommodation to Hillingdon First or the Housing Revenue Account. This will allow increased funds to be reclaimed via government subsidy. This will ensure due diligence and full evaluations of any future leasing arrangements. Settled housing in the Private Rented Sector We will continue to engage with private sector landlords to ensure a good working relationship with them and to understand how best we can attract landlords to provide homes for our homeless residents. Our most recent Landlord Forum was successfully held in July 2025. We aim to hold forums on an annual basis at a minimum. It provides a networking opportunity to explore working relationships and new supply opportunities and to keep landlords up to date with changes to legislation, policy etc. Our offer to landlords including incentives is kept regularly under review and other initiatives, such as insurance and bonds are being explored. We will actively engage larger landlords and investors to understand what is needed for them to be able to operate in Hillingdon and meet our housing needs. We will explore the opportunity of becoming a direct provider of PRS through Hillingdon First or a similar entity and will review our Allocations Policy to include enhancements for residents who secure their own PRS from temporary accommodation. We will review temporary accommodation rents so that they are more into line with those charged in the private rented sector. The disparity between rents acts as a disincentive to move-on. Standards in the Private Rented Sector We are committed to ensuring a good quality accommodation in the private rented sector and supporting our resident to find their own homes All temporary accommodation is subject to routine inspections. We aim to increase the regularity of inspections. Ideally these would happen at least once a year. We carry out or arrange for inspections for properties that we lease or offer incentives for. The physical standards in temporary accommodation should be comparable to those in the general council housing stock. The homes

Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Review 2025 Appendix 2 1 | Page Contents Page Executive Summary 2 1. Introduction and Context - Changes since our last homelessness and rough sleeping strategy - Future changes affecting homelessness and rough sleeping 7 7 10 2. Homelessness demand and related data - Summary of statutory homelessness data for Hillingdon - Homelessness approaches - Youth homelessness - Temporary accommodation - Housing Register Analysis - Rough Sleepers - Those leaving Home Office accommodation - Court Action Statistics - Private Rental Costs and Local Housing Allowance - Homelessness Demand 16 17 18 22 22 25 29 43 44 45 45 3. Homelessness Resources 46 4. Prevention of Homelessness 49 5. Housing Supply and Homelessness Support 53 6. Homelessness Challenges and Priorities - Temporary Accommodation Reduction Strategy and Action Plan - Residents’ Services Select Committee Review: Homeless Prevention and the Customer Journey - Findings from stakeholder engagement 61 61 63 65 2 | Page Executive Summary Hillingdon faces rising homelessness demand, driven by affordability pressures, asylum dispersal, and private rental market contraction. This review document considers the following to inform the development of our homelessness strategy: • Current and future demand related to homelessness in Hillingdon. • Existing prevention activity, accommodation, and support for homeless households. • gaps and challenges in current homelessness services. Key findings Recent and future developments impacting on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping • COVID-19 and resulting changes in responses to r ough sleeping. This included ‘Everyone In’ and an increase in grant funding options for rough sleepers which aided development of our rough sleeping pathway. • Changing working patterns with much more online and hybrid working. • World affairs, increased migration and shifting public opinion and political scene. High numbers of asylum seekers and government speeding up of decision making with the aim to reduce use of hotels for migrants. • Periods of increased inflation and interest rates, increasing unaffordability and wider sections of the population affected by homelessness. • Widening gap between Local Housing Allowance and rental costs. • Landlord rent increases, Section 21 evictions, and some exiting of the market particularly by landlords with small numbers of properties. • Impact of the building safety agenda and social housing regulation on the balance of social housing provider investment going to existing homes rather than new provision. • Change of government. Stated ambition for 1.5m homes and increase in social rented supply, but considerable challenges in delivering. • Big increase in the numbers of homeless families in nightly paid temporary accommodation with associated costs and risks to council finances. • Forthcoming licensing of supported housing. • Renters’ Rights Bill will bring major reforms to tenancy law —ending Section 21 evictions, introducing Decent Homes Standards (including Awaab’s Law), capping rent increases, and launching a landlord ombudsman. • The nature of the housing sector continues to evolve, with larger landlord portfolios in the private rented sector and an increasing presence of for profit providers in the social rented sector. More small landlords exiting the market. • Advances in digital technology bringing both efficiencies and additional challenges around digital exclusion and potential ly large changes associated with AI. 3 | Page Homelessness and related data England January to March 2025 • Initial assessments to determine whether a homelessness duty is owed were down 6.3% compared to the same quarter in 2024. • Those owed a prevention duty were down 4.5%. • Those homeless and owed a relief duty were down 7.1%. • Those owed a main homelessness duty were down 7.9%. • 131,140 households were in temporary accommodation on 31 March 2025, an increase of 11.8%. • Households with children in temporary accommodation increased by 11.6%. • Single households in temporary accommodation increased by 12%. • 3,870 households with children were in non-self-contained accommodation, nightly paid accommodation; down 30.1% from 31 March 2024. 2,300 had been resident for more than 6 weeks, a 29% drop. • The number of households in temporary accommodation is much higher in London than in other parts of the country. Hillingdon data April 2024 to Mar 2025 • The number of households assessed as owed a prevention or relief duty during 2024/25 was 2053 (728 prevention 35%, 1325 relief 65%). Of these 1,381 had a household member with a support need. • The ethnic profile of homeless applicants in Hillingdon shows a substantial overrepresentation of certain ethnic minority groups, particularly Black and ‘Other’ ethnic communities including Arab and other unspecified categories. White and Asian residents are underrepresented. • Approaches by those threatened with homelessness in Hillingdon are on an upward trend. There were 7,306 approaches in 2024/25. The most common reasons for approach are family and friend evictions (63% singles, 37% families), private rented sector (PRS) S21 evictions (25% singles, 75% families), and ending of home office accommodation (81% singles, 19% families). These three reasons account for 58% of approaches. The number of approaches is expected to increase again in 2025/26. • The number of households in nightly paid accommodation and the cost of that accommodation is increasing. This has become a significant financial issue for the Council and prompted the development of a dedicated action plan to reduce use of high cost provision. • On 1 April 2025 there were 1,562 households in temporary accommodation (TA), an increase of 36% compared to the previous year . Of these 796 were in nightly paid accommodation, a 10% increase over the previous year. There were no households in non- self-contained nightly paid accommodation on or since 1 April 2025. • Bookings into nightly paid accommodation between April 2025 and March 2026 totalled 740. This is 8% more than the previous year. • Bailiff warrants for private sector evictions are by far the most prominent reason for bookings into nightly paid accommodati on, accounting for 42% of all bookings in 2024/25. This rises to 58% of bookings for families requiring 3 bedrooms and 82% of bookings for those requiring 4 bedrooms or more. Other prominent reasons for bookings are domestic abuse (13%), ending of Home Office accommodation (11%), and friends and family evictions (9%). The most common booking reason for those needing a single bedroom was domestic abuse, accounting for 18% of bookings, followed by hospital discharge (14%) and bai liff war rant/PRS eviction, medi cal and, ending of Home Office accommodation (all 13%). 4 | Page • The highest number of bookings was for households needing 2 bedrooms (269), followed by 1 bedroom (208), 3 bedrooms (198), and then 4 or more bedrooms (69). • On 31 March 2025 there were 3,194 households on Hillingdon Housing Register (28% 1 bed need, 32% 2 bed, 29% 3 bed & 11% 4 bed or more). • 895 of those registered were homeless households (29% 1 bed need, 34 % 2 bed, 2 6% 3 bed & 11% 4 bed or more). The vast majority, 830, were owed the main homelessness duty. 46 were owed the relief duty and 19 the prevention duty. • The main age groups of homeless households on the housing register are 25 to 44 (507) and 45-59 (248). These two groups account for 85% of applicants. • Overcrowding is the most common cause for registration accounting for 38% of applicants compared to 29% homeless. • CHAIN data for rough sleepers shows a total of 492 individuals were recorded as sleeping rough in Hillingdon between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025. When including figures from Heathrow, this number increases by a further 301 individuals, bringing the total to 793.This combined figure places Hillingdon above neighbouring boroughs such as Hounslow (336) , Hammersmith & Fulham (439), Brent (551) and Ealing (723). Harrow recorded the lowest number of rough sleepers across West London, with 94 individuals during the same period. • The number seen bedded down at the airport is 2% lower than in 2023/24, but the number in Hillingdon borough increased by 66%. • The vast majority of rough sleepers in Hillingdon borough (excluding Heathrow) are male, 26 to 35 is the large age group. The main ethnic make-up is 33% White, 28% Asian or Asian British and 26% Black or Black British. The number seen rough sleeping on multiple occasions rose significantly between 2022/23 and 2023/24 and remained high in 2024/25, highlighting a growing issue of entrenched or repeat homelessness. • During 2024/25 there were 187 rough sleepers in Hillingdon borough (excluding Heathrow) with a mental health support need, 106 with a drugs related support need and 96 alcohol. There were 49 rough sleepers with more than one support need and 121 with no alcohol, drugs or mental health support needs. • The corresponding figures for Heathrow were: 128 rough sleepers at Heathrow with a mental health support need, 49 with an alcohol related support need and 49 drugs. There were 106 rough sleepers with more than one support need and 168 with no alcohol, drugs or mental health support needs. • The proportion of female rough sleepers is much higher at Heathrow accounting for between 23% and 29% each year since 2020/21. • Of the rough sleepers in Hillingdon borough in 2024/25 there were 9 people previously in the armed forces, 86 in prison and 21 care leavers. The corresponding numbers for Heathrow were 8 armed forces, 43 prison and 9 care leavers. • Hillingdon has a ‘Target Priority Group’ of 19 complex and entrenched rough sleepers. • We have a growing cohort of people facing homelessness and rough sleeping after being moved on from Home Office accommodation . Hillingdon has the highest concentration of asylum seekers in contingency hotel accommodation in any London borough. A growing number are becoming street homeless as the council struggles to meet statutory obligations amid funding shortfalls and rising demand. • There is a generally upward trend in repossessions across landlord types. • Based on July 2024 to June 2025 average rental costs were between £224 more per month than Local Housing Allowance rates for a 1 bedroomed property to £788 more for a 4 bedroomed property. 5 | Page • We estimate that there will be approximately 741 bookings into nightly paid temporary accommodation during 2026/27. To remove the need for nightly paid accommodation and keep pace with homelessness demand, it is estimated that we will need to source accommodat ion placements for around 628 of these bookings as some will make their own arrangements. We will also need find alternative accommodation for the 800+ households currently in nightly paid temporary accommodation. Homelessness Challenges and Priorities • A dedicated plan has been developed to reduce the number and cost of households placed in temporary accommodation. The following four workstreams are taking this work forward. o Increase prevention and reduce new temporary accommodation placements o Increase access to alternative housing options o Reduce the cost of temporary accommodation o Increase move-on into social housing • The Council’s Cabinet has approved taking forward recommendations made by the Residents’ Services Select Committee Review into the Council’s Housing Advice and Homelessness Service. Recommendations are made in the following areas: o Enhancing Resident Experience o Managing expectations and process efficiency o Staff support & training o Partnerships & collaboration • Engagement with stakeholders in developing the strategy has covered a wide range of issues and recommendations. Key emerging themes are: o Prioritise preventative work to prevent homelessness at an early stage. o Improved partnering arrangements with better planning and coordination of services. Improved data sharing and referral pathways. o Engagement with wider range of voluntary and faith based organisations o A focus on service delivery to ensure professionalism, consistency and efficiency. Better collaboration between teams. Clear plans and guidelines. Clear governance and decision making structures. o Need for more joint training, protocols and communication channels with internal and external partners. o Further integration of employment support with housing services. o Need for a quality control and performance management culture along with a framework that promotes staff wellbeing and prevents burnout. o Concerns regarding increased numbers of asylum seekers and the fairness of pressure on Hillingdon in particular. A large proportion are single males and a lack of resources for this group, that does not have statutory priority need, is impacting on rough sleeping. o A need for mental health outreach services. 6 | Page o Specific groups - Increase in households with an autistic member; housing options for those under 35 and for those who are benefit capped; reluctance of landlords to accept ex -offenders, solutions for those without recourse to public funds ; increased domestic abuse presentations. o Further develop existing work to enhance data capabilities and allow for access to data on demand. Explore opportunities for use of AI to assist in service delivery. o Focus on increasing accommodat ion options for both temporary and permanent housing across tenures . To include longer term leasing options and a planned acquisitions and development programme with a key focus on reducing TA volumes and costs. o Building corporate landlord relationships, concerns regarding S21 changes causing landlords to exit the market. Engagement plan for landlords; coordination to identify HMO landlords early and to work with them. o Unaffordable housing options, especially for single adults combine with a reluctance to consider other geographical areas. Need to ensure that residents are provided with information to enable them to make an informed choice about realistic, sustainable options. o Concerns around the quality of accommodation and anti-social behaviour. o Mechanism to monitor and capture learning from complaints and reviews. Structured approach to gathering resident feedback. o Consideration should be given to see how a Housing First model could potentially work in Hillingdon. 7 | Page 1. Introduction The homelessness review is about understanding the picture related to homelessness in Hillingdon. Its purpose is to determine the extent to which the population in the district is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, assess the likely extent in the future, identify what is currently being done and by whom, and identify what resources are available, to prevent and tackle homelessness. The Homelessness code of guidance for local authorities requires that the review of homelessness includes: (a) The levels and likely future levels of homelessness in the borough; (b) The activities which are carried out for any of the following purposes (or which contribute to achieving any of them): I. Preventing homelessness in the borough II. Securing that accommodation is available for people in the district who are or may become homeless; and III. Providing support for people in the district who are homeless or who may become at risk of homelessness; or who have been homeless and need support to prevent them becoming homeless again; and, (c) The resources available to the housing authority, the social services authority, other public authorities, voluntary organisations and other persons for the activities outlined in (b) above. Changes since our last Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy Our last strategy was published right at the end of 2019 and there have been huge changes in the landscape around homelessness services since that time. It was shortly before C ovid hit and the accompanying lockdowns . This had signif icant impacts for homelessness and for the working environment in general. It speeded up a transition to more online and home working. Many councils stopped in person work with homeless people altogether although that wasn’t the case in Hillingdon. ‘Everyone In’, Rough Sleeping Initiative and development of Hillingdon’s Rough Sleeping Pathway Of particular significance was the ‘Everyone In initiative which saw around 160 rough sleepers moved into accommodation from Heathrow Airport. Arrangements were made for leasing of Olympic House, a 33 bed unit which provides first stage accommodation for rough sleepers and a hub to provide other services for homeless clients. 8 | Page Throughout the last homelessness strategy there have been grant funding regimes for homelessness , especially for rough sleepers. The Rough Sleeper Initiative (RSI) in particular has been significant in developing the rough sleepers ’ partnership in Hillingdon. Other funding streams such as public health funding for drug and alcohol services for homeless people and funding for accommodation has also enabled increased service provision. Affordability, private rental market and cost of living Incremental reform of the PRS has created churn in the market as small-scale investors sell up and the stock becomes slightly more concentrated among professional business landlords with larger portfolios. Large landlords, such as those in the Build to Rent market have emerged as an important component but remain peripheral. Demand in the PRS remains high and rents have risen. In 2024/25, Hillingdon's average rent stood at £1,423, marking a 12% annual increase from the previous year. This is £429 higher than the England average (£994), but still below the London average, which reached £2,698 for new tenancies in Q1 2025. Hillingdon ranks 28th out of 33 London boroughs in terms of rental cost, indicating it's relatively more affordable position within the capital. 1 The most common rental property type in Hillingdon is 2-bedroom homes, comprising 39.1% of the rental stock. The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates for Hillingdon are set annually by the Rent Officer. After having been frozen for a number of years , the government re-pegged LHA rates to the 30th percentile of local rents as of September 2023 and applied this rate from April 2024, resulting in an average increase of 16% across Broad Rental Market Areas (BRMAs). In Central London, households renting a 3-bedroom property saw support rise by up to £82 per week. In Outer London areas like Hillingdon, increases were more modest but still significant. The April 2004 adjustment was not repeated for 2025 when 2004 rates were carried forward. While exact figures on how many properties were listed at LHA levels aren't published, anecdotal evidence and council data suggest a significant shortfall in properties available at or below LHA rates, especially for larger households. The gap between average rents charged between July 2024 and June 2025 ranged from £223 for 1 bed properties to £788 for 4 bed properties. Savills has recently published a comprehensive analysis on the availability of private rented accommodation in the UK, highli ghting a significant structural shift in the market. Their report, Beyond Buy to Let, reveals that small individual landlords are exiting the market at an accelerated pace, with 290,000 rental properties sold between 2021 and 2024, compared to just 130,000 new Build to Rent homes delivered. 2 The ratio of homes sold by landlords to those bought by landlords from owner occupiers reached 5.4:1 in 2024, up from 1:1 in 2021. This trend is driven by rising costs, tax changes, and ageing landlord demographics, with many seeking to cash in on capital gains. The result is a net loss of rental supply, particularly in suburban areas, where listings remain 31% below pre-pandemic levels. 1 Council and housing association evictions: Overview - GOV.UK 2 Savills UK | Beyond Buy to Let: Where next for the UK private rented sector 9 | Page In London, a joint study by Savills and the London School of Economics found that the availability of private rented homes has dropped by 41% since 2017, with the steepest decline in larger properties 3. The research shows that only 5% of listings were affordable to households relying on Local Housing Allowance (LHA) in mid- 2024, despite a nominal LHA rate increase. The contraction is most severe in the most affordable areas, where rental stock is disappearing fastest. This has profound implications for homelessness prevention, as boroughs increasin gly struggle to source suitable accommodation. The reports call for ur gent government intervention, including raising LHA rates, offering fiscal incentives to landlords, and funding public acquisition of rental stock to stabilise the market and vulnerable renters. Developments in Housing Case Law In recent years, the legal landscape surrounding homelessness in England has undergone notable shifts, driven by evolving int erpretations of statutory duties and the impact of broader societal challenges such as the COVID -19 pandemic. For housing professionals and policy officers, staying abreast of these developments is essential - not only to ensure compliance with legal obligations but also to uphold the rights and dignity of those experiencing homelessness. Since 2020, several key court decisions have c larified the responsibilities of local authorities, particularly in relation to the provision of suitable accommodation, assessments of vulnerability, and the treatment of repeat applications. The following case law highlights some of the most influential rulings that continue to shape policy and practice in this sector. Croydon LBC v Imam reinforced that financial constraints do not absolve councils from their statutory obligations, with the Supreme Court affirming that mandatory orders can compel compliance unless robust justification is provided4. Other cases have focused on the quality and suitability of accommodation offered. In Hajjaj v Westminster, the Court of Appeal ruled that councils must base suitability assessments on evidence, not assumptions, especially when offering private rented homes . Similarly, Ciftci v Haringey clarified that while councils have discretion in determining intentional homelessness, they must still conduct reasonable enquiries and document their decisions thoroughly. Collectively, these rulings underscore the need for transparency, evidence- based decision-making, and procedural rigour in how homelessness duties are administered. 5 Increase in number of asylum seekers 3 Private Rented Sector Supply in London | London Councils – Home 4 Key Supreme Court judgment concerning… - Landmark Chambers 5 Homelessness duties for local authorities - Birketts 10 | Page Since the last Hillingdon homelessness strategy was published there has been a significant increase in the number of people claiming asylum . Between 2004 and 2020 there were between 22,000 and 46,000 people claiming asylum in the UK each year. However, since the second half of 2021 the increase has been notable, with 109,000 applications in the year to the end of March 2025, of which 33% arrived via small boats.6 The total asylum caseload has grown, driven both by applicants waiting longer for an initial decision and a growth in the number of people subject to removal action following a negative decision. The North East and the North West regions have the highest number of asylum seekers relative to their population. London also has a high ratio compared to other areas (21.2 per 10,000 at the end of March 2025) due to the presence of a large number of asylum seekers in hotels which, along with the proximity of Heathrow airport , has impacted on the number of asylum seekers in Hillingdon and Hounslow . The topic has become increasingly contentious, marked by demonstrations and legal action in some areas. As the government has taken actions to speed up processing of asylum applications and reduce the number housed in hotels , this has meant additional pressure on local authority homelessness advice and housing services and has negatively impacted on rough sleeping numbers in the capital. Action has been taken from September 2025 to pause the Refugee family reunion scheme, while changes are made to the law. Under proposed new rules, refugees will have to remain in the UK for two years to qualify to bring their family and will face tougher financial and language requirements. Future changes affecting homelessness and rough sleeping The Mayor's Rough Sleeping Plan of Action 2025 The Mayor of London’s 2025 Rough Sleeping Plan of Action outlines a comprehensive and ambitious strategy to eliminate rough sleeping across the capital by 2030. Central to the approach are measures aimed at prevention, early intervention, and the provision of sustainable housing pathways. A key reform includes transitioning from the current requirement for individuals to be visibly rough sleeping before receiving support, to a needs -based assessment model by 2028. The plan proposes the establishment of Endi ng Homelessness Hubs, the launch of a dedicated prevention phoneline, and the expansion of support worker outreach in community settings such as day centres and food banks. A flagship initiative, ‘Homes off the Streets’, will see up to 500 vacant social housing units refurbished for long-term accommodation for those at risk. The Mayor has secured £17 million in government funding, alongside a £10 million investment from City Hall, to underpin these interventions. The strategy also urges central government to enhance funding for local authorities, restore the social safety net, and significantly increase the 6 How many people claim asylum in the UK? - GOV.UK 11 | Page supply of affordable housing. Building on previous achievements, including supporting over 18,000 individuals off the streets, the plan marks a shift from reactive crisis management to a system-wide, preventative approach.7 Applications for the Homes Off the Streets Programme (part of the Affordable Homes Programme 2021– 2026) must be submitted via the GLA’s Open Project System (OPS), with projects starting on site by March 2026 and most completions expected by 2028 (some strategic sites may extend to 2029). Application proposals should include project details, tenure mix, financials, and timelines. The GLA prioritises large- scale, deliverable schemes that demonstrate value for money, quality, and alignment with Mayoral priorities such as sustainability, equality, and building safety. National Government Approach to Homelessness The government has in December 2025 published ‘A National Plan to End Homelessness 8’, it’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy and is set to publish a wider Housing Strategy . The Homelessness Strategy is cross-government, to include a focus on prevention and to deliver a long-term plan. The Plan aims (1) to halve rough sleeping within 3 years; (2) to end the use of bed and breakfast as temporary accommodation for families with children beyond the statutory limit of 6 weeks and (3) prevent more households from becoming homeless in the fi rst place. Public investment over the next three years includes a fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund which will help to increase the supply of good- quality temporary accommodation. Action to help prevent homelessness includes an additional Homelessness P revention Grant in the current year, 2025/26, and a new duty on public bodies to work together to prevent homelessness, which is intended to ensure that no- one is discharged from prison, hospital or asylum accommodation without accommodation being availabl e for them. There will also be a review of social housing allocations policy to assess how effectively housing associations and local authorities are using new homes and relets to meet the needs of homeless households. The wider ‘Plan for Change aims to also boost social and affordable housing and end no fault evictions. It has been confirmed that the Vagrancy Act 1824 will be repealed by Spring next year to ensure that rough sleeping is no longer a criminal offence. The Government has proposed reforms to how homelessness services and temporary accommodation are funded as part of the Fair Funding Review 2.0. Temporary accommodation funding currently provided through the Homelessness Prevention Grant will be transferred to the Revenue Support Grant which will have a new Temporary Accommodation funding formula to account for varied need for temporary accommodation across the country. All other homelessness and rough sleeping funding will come through a consolidated Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Grant. The separation of TA funding aims to resolve the current tension faced by local authorities between investing in prevention and covering TA costs and will create dedicated ring fenced funding streams for homelessness and rough sleeping prevention. 7 The Mayor's Rough Sleeping Plan of Action 2025 | London City Hall 8 A National Plan to End Homelessness 12 | Page The Spending Review announced an additional £100 million to fund increased homelessness prevention activity by local authoriti es. The government is also providing £950 million of investment for the fourth round of the Local Authority Housing Fund to support local authorities in England to increase the supply of good quality temporary accommodation and drive down the use of costly bed and breakfasts and hotels. A commitment has been made for a £39bn Social and Affordable Homes Programme over the next 10 years to boost the supply of social and affordable housing. 60% of the programme will be aimed a properties for social rent. More of the funding will be in the latter half of the time period, with only around a third in the current parliament. The proportion for London is 30% despite having 56% of the households in temporary accommodation. The Government’s overall housing target is for 1.5 million homes over the current Parliament. Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates have been periodically capped and frozen and this has resulted in a growing number of households facing a shortfall between the LHA they receive and the rent they pay, impacting on homelessness. For temporary accommodation, funding is essentially based on the 2011 rate and has not kept pace with local authorities’ rising TA costs. Government is reluctant to increase spending on LHA but have signalled that they may look again at the time of the Autumn 2025 budget. New homes delivery across London Last year, 3,991 affordable homes were started in London. This was well above the 2,358 starts in 2023-24, but still the second-lowest on record. A number of factors have been highlighted as undermining housing supply and the delivery of affordable homes across the capit al. Complex brownfield sites, high land values, rising interest rates, and sustained build cost inflation have increased development costs, leading developers to conclude many projects are ‘unviable’. The Mayor has also stated that the requirement for a second staircase in residential buildings over 18 metres as a fire safety measure has also impacted viability. Affordable housing providers have said that macroeconomic conditions, increased costs relating to their existing stock, and reduced forecast rental incomes have pressured their budgets for building new homes. The rising cost of retrofitting existing homes , especially in relation to fire safety, damp and mould, are major constraints on development plans. Lack of suitable land and inadequate grant levels, given increased build costs and higher environmental standards are also cited. 9 Renters’ Rights Bill The Renters Rights Bill currently working its way through parliament will strengthen tenants’ rights and professionalise property management in the sector. It is expected to receive Royal Assent in late 2025 and to become law in early 2026. It will: • Abolish section 21 evictions 9 Affordable homes programmes in London, July 2025 13 | Page • Ensure possession grounds are fair to both parties • Provide stronger protections against backdoor evictions • Introduce a new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman • Create a Private Rented Sector Database • Give tenants strengthened rights to request a pet in the property • Apply the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector • Apply ‘Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector • Make it illegal for landlord and agents to discriminate against prospective tenants in receipt of benefits or with children • End the practice of rental bidding by prohibiting landlords and agents from asking for or accepting offers above the advertised rent • Strengthen local authority enforcement • Strengthen rent repayment orders Once the bill has received royal assent there is an expected phased introduction of the various measures. Some will only become law when additional regulations are made. Private rented sec tor enforcement powers are expected to be amongst the earlier measures introduced. The abolition of S21 evictions is currently expected around April 2026. The introduction of the PRS database and of Awaab’s law are expected to be further in the future. The Renters’ Rights Bill marks a significant shift in the private rented sector by abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, a long-standing mechanism that allowed landlords to terminate tenancies without providing a reason. This reform is expected to enhance housing security for millions of renters, reducing the risk of sudden displacement and the associated pathway into homelessness. By moving to a system of rolling periodic tenancies and requiring landlords to cite legitimate grounds for possession—suc h as persistent rent arrears or the need to sell or occupy the property —the Bill aims to create a fairer and more transparent framework. These changes are anticipated to empower tenants to challenge poor conditions and unfair rent increases without fear of retaliatory eviction, thereby contributing to greater housing stability and potentially easing pressure on homelessness services In Hillingdon, where demand for temporary accommodation is already high and budgets are under pressure, the removal of this eviction route could help reduce the number of households entering homelessness by offering greater security of tenure. However, the effectiveness of this reform will depend on the timely implementation of court system improvements and the availability of genuinely affordable housing. Without these, the pressure on local services may persist, even as the legislative landscape shifts. There is concern that some landlords may choose to exit the rental market in response as landlords will no longer be able to regain possession of their properties without citing specific legal grounds, such as rent arrears or anti -social behaviour. The increased reliance on Section 8 and the court system may also raise concerns about delays and administrative burdens, prompting some to reconsider their involvement in the sector. The actual scale of landlord withdrawal will likely depend on how effectively t he new system is implemented, including court efficiency and support for landlords navigating the new legal framework. 14 | Page Supported Housing Regulatory Oversight Act 2023 (SHROA) The introduction of this legislation was motivated by gaps in regulation, which led to some inconsi stencies in standards amongst providers. Additionally, the rapid growth of exempt accommodation, has raised concerns in some areas about high rental charges and limited support being provided. The SHROA seeks to improve oversight by enabling councils to identify and respond to providers who do not meet expected standards. Supported housing provides essential services to diverse groups of individuals with support needs , of interest to homelessness services as well as colleagues and partners working in related areas. Primary groups of people served by supported housing include: • Older adults • People with physical and learning disabilities • People with mental health conditions • People fleeing domestic abuse • People experiencing or at risk of homelessness • People recovering from substance misuse • Individuals transitioning from the justice system • Young people leaving care The SHROA requires local councils to conduct comprehensive needs assessments to understand local demand and plan service provision accordingly. It also requires each council to develop a supported housing strategy outlining how the council plans to meet the assessed needs and include frameworks for monitoring, evaluation and enforcement. One of the most significant provisions of the SHROA is the introduction of a licensing system for supported housing providers. Councils will be responsible for issuing licences based on a provider’s ability to meet new National Supported Housing Standards. This provides the mechanisms and relevant powers for LA s to regulate both commissioned and non- commissioned providers, ensuring that all housing meets consistent standards. Draft regulations are expected early in 2026. For profit housing providers The presence of For-Profit Registered Providers (F PRP) in the affordable housing sector is continuing to increase. Savill s has found a clear ambition from investors to scale up their portfolios, with an expectation that a current 43,100 homes will triple by 2030. A quarter of the sector’s housing stock is expected to be for social rent through new build and through investment in existing homes, releasing capacity for housing associations. This comes at a time when many traditional housing associations have reduced development programmes in favour of investment in existing homes. 15 | Page Advances in digital technology The increasing use and the capabilities of digital technology have profound significance for many service areas, including those impacted by homelessness and those working in homelessness services. Digital service delivery is becoming more and more relevant in increasing resident accessibility to services and delivering efficiencies. Embracing GenAI tools has the potential to assist with general tasks such as writing emails , project planning, and writing up notes for instance. It has also been suggested that AI could be used in homelessness for identifying risk factors that may lead to homelessness and for coordinating the support people experiencing homelessness receive from various channels helping to match services to a person’s specific needs. There are also potential pitfalls including the need to check the accuracy of information produced and ensuring that confidential and sensitive information is not shared. AI has potential but can also draw unhelpful conclusions and undermine professional and person-centred approaches. As public and other services move increasingly online , being digitally excluded is a growing barrier to everyday life and is especially so for those facing housing instability, low income or health challenges. For those living in temporary accommodation, access to privat e, secure connectivity can be difficult. Many are forced to rely on free public access Wifi in shared public spaces. They may struggle to manage bank or benefit accounts, access health appointments or communicate confidentially with support services. Digital technology is also changing how landlords let properties and seek to protect their income and property. Landlords with fewer properties face heightened vulnerability, where a single non- paying tenants can result in substantial income loss. In response, landlords increasingly prioritise stringent tenant screening to mitigate risks such as rent arrears and property damage. ‘Professionals only’ advertisement are common on digital platforms. Estate agents are leveraging technology to augment rather than replace services , including use of digital tenant risk -profiling tools which use algorithms to streamline tenant selection, replacing traditional judgement based methods. Services combine identify verification and credit checks with other data sources to offer comprehensive tenant screening and risk scoring. The adoption of these tools raises questions about their impacts on fairness, discrimination and tenant rights. The tools enable landlords to access financial and administrative data, enhancing tenant selection decisions while streamlining processes. However, digitalisation also exacerbates accessibility barriers, particularly for tenants in non- standard employment, reliant on benefits or with limited digital proficiency. 16 | Page 2. Homelessness and related data This section is concerned with the types of homelessness in Hillingdon and the number of people and households affected. It considers what types of households are most susceptible to homelessness in Hillingdon and, what causes them to be homeless or threatened with homelessness. National statutory homelessness statistics published for the 2025 January to March quarter show that the total number of households in temporary accommodation continues to rise and is at record levels for households both with and without children . At the end of March 2025 , 131, 140 households were living in TA an increase of 11.8% over the previous year, two-thirds (63.4%) of which are households with children. There have been some improvements. The number of households owed a main homelessness duty fell by 7.9% and accommodation secured at the end of both relief and prevention duties are higher than for the previous two years. The number in non- self-contained B&B also dropped and those in this accommodation for more than 6 weeks also reduced. Section 21 evictions remain a leading cause of homelessness presentations. In the quarter January to March 2025 the number of households per 1,000 in the area threatened with homelessness was 2.86 in London compared with 1.71 for the Rest of England. The following number per 1,000 were recorded for West London Boroughs. West London Borough Threatened with homelessness per 1,000 households Brent 5.10 Ealing 2.79 Hammersmith and Fulham 2.61 Harrow 1.77 Hounslow 4.16 Hillingdon 4.01 Kensington and Chelsea 2.60 On 31 March 2025, there were 19.9 households living in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households in London, compared to 2.8 households per 1,000 in the Rest of England. Newham had the highest rate in London with 57.7 households per 1,000. The corresponding figure for Hillingdon is 17.7. Slough Borough Council had the highest rate outside London with 23.8 households per 1,000. 17 | Page Summary of Statutory Homelessness Data for Hillingdon Ethnicity of homeless applicants Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total White 105 28.2% 113 27.6% 169 25.1% 122 19.6% 509 25.1% Black / African / Caribbean / Black British 74 19.9% 95 23.2% 170 25.3% 193 30.9% 532 24.8% Asian / Asian British 83 22.3% 91 22.2% 174 25.9% 144 23.1% 492 23.4% Mixed / Multiple ethnic groups 25 6.7% 15 3.7% 28 4.2% 23 3.7% 91 4.6% Other ethnic groups 64 17.2% 79 19.3% 105 15.6% 113 18.1% 361 17.6% Not known 21 5.6% 16 3.9% 27 4.0% 29 4.6% 93 4.6% In 2024/25, the ethnic profile of homeless applicants in Hillingdon shows notable disparities when compared to the borough's overall population based on the 2021 Census 10. White residents, who make up around 48.2% of Hillingdon’s population, accounted for only 25.1% of homeless 10 How life has changed in Hillingdon: Census 2021 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total Initial assessment completed 393 435 688 639 2155 Total households with support needs owed a duty 178 277 463 463 1381 Households owed a prevention duty 154 126 280 168 728 Households owed a relief duty 218 258 393 456 1325 Secured accommodation for 6 months at prevention stage 45 57 66 36 204 - alternative accommodation 16 25 33 23 97 - existing accommodation 29 32 33 13 107 Helped to secure with a financial payment at prevention stage 4 8 14 11 37 Secured accommodation for 6 months at relief stage 48 105 66 60 279 Helped to secure with a financial payment at relief stage 4 13 10 6 33 Number of main duty decisions 172 158 109 90 529 Of which, accepted priority need, unintentional 138 134 90 71 433 - includes dependent children 115 105 61 47 328 Number of main duty ended 10 14 35 15 74 18 | Page applicants, indicating significant underrepresentation. Conversely, Black / African / Caribbean / Black British individuals r epresented 24.8% of homeless applicants, despite comprising just 7.8% of the general population—highlighting a substantial overrepr esentation. Asian / Asian British residents were also underrepresented, making up 23.4% of homeless applicants compared to 33.3% of the population. Other ethni c groups, including Arab and other unspecified categories, were overrepresented at 17.6% of appli cants versus 6.3% of the population. Mixed / Multiple ethnic groups were proportionally represented, with 4.6% of applicants compared to 4.4% of the population. These figures suggest that homelessness in Hillingdon disproportionately affects certain ethnic minority groups, particularly Black and Other ethnic communities. Homeless Approaches In the fiscal year 2024/25, Hillingdon Council experienced a significant increase of 47% in homelessness approaches over the previous year, which was itself an increase of 28% over the year before that. Single-person households constituted 55% of these cases. This is a reduction from 66% the year before. In 2024/25, the total number of homelessness approaches received by the local authority rose significantly to 7,306, compared with 4,968 in 2023/24 and 3,886 in the preceding year. This upward trend is expected to continue over the coming year. The pattern of two-thirds of approaches originating from single-person households remained consistent with previous years. Of the total, 4,032 approaches were from single individuals, while 3,274 were from households with families. This upward trend is expected to continue into 2025/26. 19 | Page Homeless approaches in Hillingdon remained consistently high throughout 2024/25, with notable fluctuations. Singles accounted for the majority of approaches each month, peaking sharply in January 2025 at 414 cases, while families reached their highest point in February at 422 cases. The winter period (December –February) saw a significant surge compared to earlier months, suggesting seasonal pressures and possibly clearance of court backlog driving demand. Overall, the trend indicates sustained and rising pr essure on homelessness services, with single households consistently forming the largest cohort, though family approaches also spiked during the year. 315 269 325 287 304 254 354 339 321 249 288 289 343 319 289 273 268 189 414 292 422 271 389 243 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 Singles Families Singles Families Singles Families Singles Families Singles Families Singles Families Singles Families Singles Families Singles Families Singles Families Singles Families Singles Families Apr-24 May-24 Jun-24 Jul-24 Aug-24 Sep-24 Oct-24 Nov-24 Dec-24 Jan-25 Feb-25 Mar-25 Homeless Approaches 2024/25 20 | Page The chart highlights the main reasons for homelessness approaches in Hillingdon during 2024/25. The two dominant causes are end of private rented tenancy (assured shorthold) and requirement to leave Home Office- provided accommodation, together accounting for the largest share of cases. Both reasons affect families more than singles, with family approaches for assured shorthold tenancy terminations exceeding 1,200 cases, compared to around 330 for singles. Conversely, leaving Home Office accommodation disproportionately impacts singles, with nearly 970 cases, compared to 233 for families. Other significant factors include domestic abuse, relationship breakdown, and eviction from supported housing, though these are far less frequent. This pattern underscores t he dual pressures of private rental insecurity and asylum dispersal policies as key drivers of homelessness demand, alongside persistent issues such as domestic abuse and institutional discharge. 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 End of private rented tenancy; assured shorthold… Required to leave accommodation provided by… Domestic abuse; victim End of private rented tenancy - not assured… Relationship with partner ended (non-violent… Departure from institution: Custody Non-racially motivated / other motivated violence… Voluntarily left accommodation to relocate Fire or flood / other emergency Loss of tied accommodation Departure from institution: Looked After Child… Unsuccessful placement or exclusion from… Left HM Forces Approach Reasons 2024/25 Total Singles Total Families 21 | Page HOMELESS APPROACHES 2024/25 Total Singles Total Families Overall Total Friends/Family no longer willing or able to accommodate 1067 632 1699 End of private rented tenancy; assured shorthold tenancy 329 990 1319 Required to leave accommodation provided by Home Office as asylum support 967 233 1200 Eviction from supported housing 283 180 463 Domestic abuse; victim 210 224 434 End of private rented tenancy - not assured shorthold tenancy 162 239 401 Not known due to last settled accommodation Not known 182 93 275 Relationship with partner ended (non-violent breakdown) 141 114 255 Home no longer suitable due to disability / ill health 92 109 201 Departure from institution: Custody 176 2 178 Mortgage repossession or sale of owner occupier property 54 110 164 Non-racially motivated / other motivated violence or harassment 67 55 122 End of social rented tenancy 48 50 98 Voluntarily left accommodation to relocate 48 47 95 Property disrepair (Inhabitable) 27 60 87 Fire or flood / other emergency 14 45 59 Domestic abuse; alleged perpetrator excluded from property 42 15 57 Loss of tied accommodation 36 15 51 Racially motivated violence or harassment 14 30 44 Departure from institution: Looked After Child Placement 28 9 37 Departure from institution: Hospital (general or psychiatric) 37 4 41 Unsuccessful placement or exclusion from resettlement scheme/sponsorship 7 14 21 Left HM Forces 1 4 5 22 | Page Youth Homelessness Analysis of the 2024/25 dataset reveals that the most prevalent reason for homelessness is “ Required to leave accommodation provided by Home Office as asylum support ”, accounting for 279 cases (31.2%). This is most commonly associated with applicants previously housed in National Asylum Support Service (NASS) accommodation, refuges, and temporary arrangements. The second most frequent reason is “ Family no longer willing or able to accommodate”, with 271 cases (30.3%), predominantly linked to those living with family or friends. Domestic abuse (victim) ranks third, contributing to 53 cases (5.9%), with a notable proportion coming from refuge settings and temporary accommodation. These findings highlight the critical intersection between immigration status, family breakdown, and domestic abuse in driving housing instability. The data underscores the need for tailored support pathways for individuals exiting asylum support and those affected by familial or relationship breakdowns. The most common accommodation outcome under both prevention and relief duties was securing self-contained units in the private rented sector, accounting for 0.6% and 3.4% of cases respectively. Main reason for loss of settled home (Top 10) Total Required to leave accommodation provided by Home Office as asylum support 279 Family no longer willing or able to accommodate 271 Domestic abuse; victim 53 Eviction from supported housing 43 End of private rented tenancy; assured shorthold tenancy 43 Friends no longer willing or able to accommodate 35 Departure from institution: Custody 27 Not known due to last settled accommodation Not known 26 End of private rented tenancy - not assured shorthold tenancy 26 Departure from institution: Looked After Child Placement 17 Temporary Accommodation/B&B At the close of the 2024/25 period, the count of households residing in temporary accommodation (TA) stood at 1,562, marking an increase of 415 from the 1147 recorded at the year’s commencement. During 2024/25 there were 7 40 new bookings into temporary accommodation. This is 5 8 more than the previous year. On 31 March 2025 the number of households in high cost B&B was 796 which is an increase of 18.3% over two years. Throughout the 2024/25 year, the B&B bookings distributed as follows: 206 for one-bedroom (-15 compared to 2023/24), 267 for two-bedroom (+20), 199 for three-bedroom (+40), 64 for four-bedroom (-8), and 4 for accommodations larger than four bedrooms (-1). 23 | Page Private rented sector evictions via bailiff warrants dominate, accounting for the largest share of bookings across all bed sizes, particularly for larger homes (3–4 bedrooms), where this reason represents the overwhelming majority. Domestic abuse and cessation of Home Office accommodation are the next most common causes, with a more even distribution across smaller bed sizes (1–2 bedrooms). Other reasons such as friends or family eviction, hospital discharge, and medical needs appear less frequently and are concentrated in smaller properties. This pattern highlights that eviction from the private rented sector is the primary driver of high-cost temporary accommodation, especially for families requiring larger homes, while single-person households are more likely to enter TA due to domestic abuse or health-related issues. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 Bailiff Warrant - Private Rented Sector Eviction Domestic Abuse Victim Cessation of Home Office Accommodation Friends or Family Eviction Medical Hospital Discharge Judicial Review or Pending Appeal Family Reunion (withour suitable accommodation) End of Accommodation by Childrens Social Services Care Leaver Top 10 Booking Reasons by Bed Size 1 2 3 4 5 24 | Page Reason 1B 2B 3B 4B 5B Total % of Approaches % of all bookings Bailiff Warrant - Private Rented Sector Eviction 27 119 115 53 3 317 24% 43% Domestic Abuse Victim 38 42 16 96 22% 13% Cessation of Home Office Accommodation 27 28 29 2 86 7% 12% Friends or Family Eviction 17 45 9 1 0 72 4% 10% Medical 27 3 1 31 15% 4% Hospital Discharge 29 29 71% 4% Judicial Review or Pending Appeal 5 4 7 2 0 18 - 2% Family Reunion (without suitable accommodation) 1 3 5 2 1 12 2% End of Accommodation by Children’s Social Services (S17) / Eviction from supported living 4 10 4 2 20 4% 3% Care Leaver 11 11 30% 1% Rough Sleeper 8 1 9 3% 1% Victim of Civil Unrest - Chagos Islands 5 3 8 1% Prison Release 6 6 3% 1% Regeneration Scheme 2 4 6 1% Victim of Civil Unrest - Lebanon 1 3 1 5 1% Illegal Eviction 2 1 3 0% Fire 1 1 2 3% 0% Relationship Breakdown 1 1 2 1% 0% Accepted Main Housing Duty 1 1 2 0% Victim of Civil Unrest - Sudan 1 1 2 0% Modern Trafficking Victim 1 1 0% Referral by Local Authority under S198 1 1 0% Unsuitable Housing 1 1 1% 0% 206 267 199 64 4 740 100% Private sector evictions are by far the most prominent reason for bookings into nightly paid accommodation, especially for larger homes - 58% of bookings for families requiring 3 bedrooms and 82% of bookings for those requiring 4 bedrooms or more. One bed bookings are much more evenly split between private sector evictions, domestic abuse, cessation of home office accommodation, medical and hospital discharge, with domestic abuse being the most prevalent reason. Families in need of four or more bedrooms predominantly consisted of households at risk of: • homelessness under section 21(56 compared to 42 last year), • those fleeing domestic violence (zero compared to 11 last year), and • family reunion (3, not one of the top 3 last year), representing the three primary categories. In contrast, families in need of three bedrooms largely consisted of: • households at risk of homelessness under section 21 (115 compared to 83 last year +32), • asylum seekers whose Home Office- provided housing had ceased (29 compared to 23 last year +6) and • domestic abuse (16 compared to 8 last year) making up the three primary categories. 25 | Page Housing Register Analysis As of 31st March 2025, Hillingdon’s housing register listed 3,194 households (29% 1 bed need, 34% 2 bed, 26% 3 bed & 11% 4 bed or more). At this time, we were transitioning to a new banding system with bands 1 to 14, 3,112 had been placed on the new banding system as shown in the table below. A further 82 were still to transition. Housing Register by Band on 31 March 2025 0&1 bed 2 beds 3 beds 4 beds 5 beds Total Band 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 Band 2 1 1 3 1 0 6 Band 3 5 11 3 0 1 20 Band 4 109 63 12 5 0 191 Band 5 8 1 3 6 0 18 Band 6 14 10 15 5 0 44 Band 7 2 0 2 0 0 4 208 269 198 64 4 1 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 1 2 3 4 5 (blank) Total Bookings by Bed Size Total 26 | Page Band 8 14 5 1 1 0 21 Band 9 25 59 119 97 1 301 Band 10 64 86 91 27 0 268 Band 11 72 270 365 122 0 829 Band 12 305 234 132 23 0 694 Band 13 254 244 163 54 0 715 Band 14 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 1 to 14 873 984 910 341 2 3112 Of those registered, 895 were homeless households, 819 of which were in the new bands. Housing Register by Band on 31 March 2025 Homeless Main Duty Homeless Relief Homeless Prevention Total Band 1 0 0 0 0 Band 2 0 0 0 0 Band 3 0 0 0 0 Band 4 0 0 0 0 Band 5 3 0 0 3 Band 6 2 0 0 2 Band 7 1 0 0 1 Band 8 1 0 0 1 Band 9 64 0 2 66 Band 10 68 4 2 74 Band 11 69 0 2 71 Band 12 19 2 4 25 Band 13 534 36 6 576 Band 14 0 0 0 0 Total 761 42 16 819 27 | Page The proportion on the register for different bedsizes is similar for homeless households and the housing register as a whole. There is a slightly higher proportion requiring 1 and 2 bed properties and slightly lower proportion requiring 3 bed properties. Housing Register by Homelessness Duty/Beds 0&1 bed 2 beds 3 beds 4 beds 5 beds Total Homeless Main Duty 211 297 227 95 0 830 Homeless Relief 40 4 2 0 0 46 Homeless Prevention 6 6 6 1 0 19 Total 257 307 235 96 0 895 Housing Register by Transfers/Beds 0&1 bed 2 beds 3 beds 4 beds 5 beds Total Total 220 276 385 167 2 Housing Register for Overcrowding for Beds 0&1 bed 2 beds 3 beds 4 beds 5 beds Total Total 179 446 411 108 0 Age Bands Housing Register by Homelessness Duty/Age band 16-24 25-44 45-59 60-64 65-74 75+ Total Homeless Main Duty 66 478 228 27 24 7 830 Homeless Relief 7 18 13 4 3 1 46 Homeless Prevention 0 11 7 0 1 0 19 Total 73 507 248 31 28 8 895 84% of homeless households on the housing register have a main applicant aged between 25 and 59. The primary cause for registration on the housing list is due to overcrowding, which affects 1144 households (where known), representing 38% of the total registrations with homeless household accounting for 29%. Many homeless cases (84%) fall within the 25 to 59 age group. Housing Register by Main Reasons Overcrowding 1144

1 Appendix 3 Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy Consultation Report 2026 A consultation process has been completed regarding the new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026-2030. The consultation initially ran from 5th January 2026 to 15th February 2026 for 6 weeks in total. This was supplemented by one additional consultation meeting with Adult Social Care and Public Health staff on 17th February 2026 and through review by Residents’ Services Select Committee at their meeting on 18th February 2026. The aims were to: • Be legally compliant. • Promote and raise understanding of the strategy to residents, partners and other stakeholders. • Gather valuable insight in a range of ways, from a representative cross-section of residents, partners and other stakeholders to inform the final version of the strategy. The following design principles have been used: • To be proportionate to requirements. • Provide ‘self-serve’ digital feedback options to participate in the consultation, for the convenience of residents and partners. • Provide for easy read and inclusive consultation approaches where required. • Using existing networks of groups and partnerships. • Enable opportunities for providing structured views and responses to open dialogue, where required. Methodology A copy of the draft strategy was published on the Hillingdon Council website with a link to an electronic survey form and offer to provide the survey in different formats and translations, on request. Paper copies of the survey could also be requested through our Customer Engagement Team. 2 The survey has been promoted via various channels, including e-newsletters and the council’s social media channels with a link to the survey form. Posters with a QR code link to the survey were also placed in council buildings at the recent Homelessness Forum. A range of partner organisations have been written to directly, inviting their comments on the draft policy and directing them to the online consultation. These include: • Housing and support providers. • Existing community groups, faith groups. • Voluntary sector networks. • Neighbouring local authorities. • Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government • Greater London Authority • Internal housing staff and related services including Adult and Children’s Social Care and Public Health Consultation meetings have been held with Children’s Social Care, Leaving Care Team, Adult’s Social Care and Public Health, Housing Managers and front-line housing staff. Two consultation events were held on 4 th February 2026. The first to gain active engagement and interaction with residents, with a question-and-answer session. The second consultation event was held with key partners who were invited to discuss the upcoming strategy. This was followed up with an event on 5th February 2026 with supported housing residents for a round table discussion. The council’s Homelessness Forum was invited to review and comment on the proposed changes and the consultation approach at its meeting on 9 th February 2026. The feedback received informed the final shape of the consultation, resulting in the addition of an online staff engagement event held on 17 th February 2026. This session provided further qualitative insight to complement the quantitative data collected. The report was also presented to Residents’ Services Select Committee on 18th February 2026. Consultation results Summary A total of 52 survey responses were received alongside extensive qualitative feedback from staff partners, and residents. Overall residents showed majority support for all five strategic priorities, with particularly strong endorsement for: • Priority 3 – Access to safe, suitable and sustainable accommodation: 75% agreed or strongly agreed, making it the most supported priority. • Priority 2– Resident focused homelessness service: (now reordered as priority 1 in the revised draft): 71% agreed or strongly agreed. • Priority 1– Prevention (now reordered as priority 2 in the revised draft): 62% agreed or strongly agreed. Support was slightly lower for: • Priority 4 – Targeted pathways for single homeless and rough sleepers: Agreement and disagreement were more balance, reflecting mixed views. • Priority 5 – Modern, data-led and cost-effective services: 58% felt the priority aligned with their expectations 3 Overall, the consultation shows: • Broad support for the direction of the strategy. • Strongly articulated concerns about temporary accommodation pressures, system coordination, fairness and communication. • A clear need for enhance multi-agency working, data-led improvement, and more proactive, preventative pathways. • Community and partner anxiety about national policy pressures – particularly migration and PRS instability – and their impact on local services. Methodology The consultation was promoted across the Council’s social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter) and Meta. Each post highlighted the strategic priorities and included a direct link to the consultation webpage, enabling residents to provide their feedback. Meta advertising generated the highest level of engagement across all platforms. However, despite the substantial number of views, however this did not translate into a corresponding increase in completed survey responses. Social Media Online Survey Results There was a total of 52 responses to the online survey. 1. To what extent do you agree with priority one? Early and sustained prevention Note this is now priority 2 in the revised draft Strongly agree 37% Agree 25% Neutral 6% Disagree 17% Strongly disagree 15% 2. Additional comments 17.3% of respondents who “strongly agree” or “agree” with Priority One are Hillingdon residents and private tenants. 3. To what extent do you agree with priority two? Strongly agree 42% Agree 29% Channel Week 1 Week 3 Week 6 Total Views Total Clicks Meta advert (views/clicks) Total only available Total only available Total only available 27,245 1,048 Facebook (views/clicks) 10,287 views, 19 link clicks 5,882 views, 23 link clicks 3,228 views 19,397 42 Instagram (view) 884 683 332 1,899 N/A X/Twitter (impressions/clicks) 310 impressions, 2 link clicks 302 impressions, 2 link clicks 362 impressions, 7 link clicks 974 11 4 Resident focussed homelessness service Note this is now priority 1 in the revised draft Neutral 10% Disagree 4% Strongly disagree 15% 4. Additional comments 17.3% of respondents who “strongly agree” or “agree” with Priority Two are Hillingdon residents and private tenants. 5. To what extent do you agree with priority three? Support access to safe, suitable and sustainable accommodation Strongly agree 52% Agree 23% Neutral 6% Disagree 4% Strongly disagree 15% 6. Additional comments This priority had the highest level of agreement with 75% agreeing or strongly agreeing. Among respondents who expressed strong agreement or agreement with Priority Three, around one-third (32.7%) were living in social or supported housing situations; including council tenants, housing association tenants, or households in temporary accommodation. 7. To what extent do you agree with priority four? Targeted housing pathways for single homeless, rough sleepers and other groups Strongly agree 37% Agree 25% Neutral 6% Disagree 12% Strongly disagree 21% 8. Additional comments Of those who strongly agree or agree with Priority Four, just over a third (36.5%) identify as single. This is compared to 36.8% either disagree or strongly disagree. 9. To what extent do you agree with priority 5? Strongly agree 31% Agree 27% Neutral 17% 5 Modern data led and cost effective services Disagree 8% Strongly disagree 17% 10. Additional comments Overall, responses to Priority Five were mostly positive, with a clear majority indicating support. 58% who took part feel that Priority Five aligns well with their expectations and concerns. 11. Any other comments you have about the Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeping Review and Strategy. • Top concerns cluster around Temporary Accommodation (TA) and system pressure. TA hotels, nightly-paid use, move-on bottlenecks and related casework come up most frequently (21 mentions). • Many comments ask for “locals first” or query the treatment of asylum seekers (14 mentions). • A notable subset argue for prioritising long-term residents or “UK-born”, this intersects with equalities and communications risk (9 mentions). • Vulnerability and complex needs (mental health, substance use, domestic abuse, hospital/prison leavers) appear often and are typically framed as requiring multi-agency, trauma-informed responses (13 mentions). • Partnership working is viewed as essential, with VCS partners offering to collaborate on prevention, data-sharing and outreach (11 mentions). • Outreach and visible street activity: asks for more on-street engagement, Street Link usage, and responses to begging/tents in specific localities (9 mentions). • Overall sentiment is mixed with many comments containing both support and critique. A smaller share is clearly positive or negative. Illustrative quotes “Perhaps focus on those that have put into the system for years. Those with at least 10 year links to Hillingdon.” “The strategy would benefit from clearer commitments to intervene early… proactive advice, mediation and tenancy sustainment before crisis point… stronger emphasis on genuinely affordable housing and Housing First pathways.” “Families in temporary accommodation should have a housing officer.” 6 “There is a need for on-the-ground teams to go out to where homeless people are to offer advice and reduce begging.” “All 5 strategy priorities will require funding and staffing…Promising support without the staff to provide it seems empty.” 12. Are you? A Hillingdon resident 87% Voluntary or community organisation working in the borough 6% Housing association with homes in the borough 0% Another type of organisation 4% Other 4% 13. What is your current housing situation? I am: A council tenant 19% Living in temporary accommodatio n provided by Hillingdon Council because I was homeless 6% A private tenant 23% A housing association tenant 8% A homeowner (with or without a mortgage) 44% 14. If you are responding on behalf of a voluntary or community organisation, a statutory organisation or a housing association with homes in the borough, please provide the name of your organisation in the box 7 15. What is your gender Male 23% Female 63% Prefer not to say 13% Other 0% 16. What age range do you belong to? 17. How would you describe your ethnicity? 18. Do you consider yourself to have a disability? A physical or mental illness or condition that has a substantial and long-term effect on your ability to carry out normal day to day activities. Yes 62% No 23% Prefer not to say 15% 3 4 2 33 10 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 8 19. What is your sexual orientation? 20. What is your religion or belief? 21. What is your marital status? Married 52% Single 37% Divorced 8% Widowed 2% Separated 2% Civil partnership 0% Staff Consultation Staff Workshop A drop-in staff workshop was held on 4 February 2026, during which colleagues from across services provided extensive feedback on the challenges and opportunities within homelessness prevention and housing pathways. 37 1 0 0 12 2 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 52%37% 8% 2% 2% 9 The workshop highlighted a strong collective commitment to early and sustained prevention of homelessness, underpinned by clearer communication pathways, more consistent responses, and a coordinated approach across services. Participants emphasised the need for earlier intervention, improved information-sharing, and clearer guidance on managing prevention cases, noting recurring issues such as inconsistent caseworker contact, premature case closure by triage, and unclear responsibilities between service areas. Strengthening relationships between the private rented sector and social housing was seen as essential, supported by PRS incentives, Renters’ Rights Act training, and public awareness sessions on new legislation. Staff identified the importance of community-based outreach working through job centres, churches, and faith services alongside better engagement with partners, promotion of Duty to Refer, and a more seamless advice offer. Concerns were raised about fragmented systems, limited stability in staffing, and a need for renewed multi -agency forums, including reinstating the Single Homeless Partnership Meetings and developing an internal group spanning housing, social care, youth justice and public health. Early planning for young people and care experienced young people emerged as a priority, including clearer pathways, stronger joint working with Children’s Services, and more consistent messaging about realistic housing options. The group also highlighted operational challenges such as a lack of meaningful data on temporary accommodation flows, limited review of long- term cases, system incompatibilities between NEC and Locata, and insufficient use of DHP and HPF to sustain tenancies. Finally, participants called for better strategic planning, improved data insight across specific cohorts, and clearer processes for communication, commissioning and prevention activity, recognising that people need to feel the system is fair, transparent, and responsive to their needs. Adult Social Care and Public Health Staff Workshop The consultation highlighted broad support for the direction of the draft Homelessness Strategy, while identifying several areas requiring clearer emphasis. Public Health colleagues stressed the need to reference infectious diseases particularly tuberculos is and the absence of a local protocol to guide joint responses with NHS services. Participants also emphasised strengthening commitments around substance misuse, mental health and multiple complex needs groups, including clearer pathways, joint commissioning, and system wide collaboration. Adult Social Care colleagues noted that standard temporary accommodation is often unsuitable for people with complex needs and encouraged more creative, flexible housing models, potentially including small self -contained units or bespoke provision for instances where shared accommodation is unsuitable, such as those undergoing treatment for tuberculosis or where there are addictions or behaviours or mental health needs that are provoked by other people in shared schemes. A suggestion was made that the old W oodside site could be used for a bespoke development of small mews houses that might suit this purpose. The discussion also underlined the significance of wider supply side pressures such as the impact of Airbnb around Heathrow, the use and availability of council housing stock, and the strategic role of HMOs. Further points included the need for explicit reference to residents with no recourse to public funds, clearer accommodation pathways for young people and survivors of domestic abuse, and better incorporation of lessons learned from the COVID 19 response particularly rapid accommodation for rough sleepers with respiratory illness. The consultation reinforced strong multi -agency support for the direction of the homelessness strategy, while identifying important areas for enhancement. 10 Key Partners Meeting A meeting was held with Key partners on 4 th February 2026 which explored the pressures shaping homelessness services, noting the tension between strategic ambitions and the operational reality of growing demand, rising PRS evictions and wider political pressures around asylum and refugee systems. Partners highlighted the need for more granular, trauma informed, and better coordinated practice, recognising that existing pathways are underused and that staff turnover, inconsistent referrals and gaps in frontline training undermine service effectivenes s. Strengthening prevention was identified as essential, with calls for improved data sharing, clearer pathways, and regular partnership meetings focused on individual needs and workforce capability. Issues around move- on processes were raised, including inconsistent sign -up procedures, risks linked to some PRS landlords, and the impact of concentrated disadvantage in certain supported accommodation areas. Partners noted the influence of communication and word -of-mouth in how people navigate services, and the value of heat -mapping intelligence to target resources more effectively. Social prescribers were reported to be dealing with significant numbers of housing- related issues, reinforcing the need for accessible, safe and suitable accommodation options and clearer triage decisions. Temporary accommodation pressures were also discussed, including cases where non- priority households remain due to tenancy rights, variable property quality, rent caps, and the new pan- London TA cost agreement (LAMA). Earlier prevention was viewed as crucial given the faster turnover in TA compared to supported schemes. Partners highlighted housing stock challenges, especially for single people and larger households, suggesting that creative use of shared housing models, repurposing properties and exploring private sector frameworks could help relieve pressure. Opportunities in First Stage Accommodation and learning from other boroughs —such as Enfield and Ealing’s assessment models and RSAP supported pathways—were recognised as useful comparators. Concerns were also raised about the lapse in single homeless meetings, the need to bring empty facilities such as Jupiter House and Fountains Mill back into use, and preparations required for the forthcoming supported housing licensing regime. Overall, the discussion underscored the need for clearer structures, stronger partnerships, and earlier, more proactive approaches across the entire homelessness and rough sleeping pathway. Residents’ Consultation Trinity Residents’ Meeting A consultation with Trinity residents was held on 5 February 2026, attended by five service users living in Trinity shared homes and one Trinity staff member. One resident, who had experienced homelessness over several years, provided detailed reflections on his journey. His move into Trinity accommodation had been relatively swift ; initial contact in October followed by placement in December, first into high-support accommodation and later into a lower -support setting. While his experience of Trinity had been positive, he expressed strong frustration with the council’s processes, summarised repeatedly as “losing paperwork.” His background included time in foster care, periods in supported and self -contained accommodation out of borough, and later instability linked to a relationship breakdown and drug involvement. He had engaged with social care inconsistently and was unclear whether Trinity became involved thr ough a referral from homelessness services or through their own outreach. Residents and staff agreed that having a clear, designated point of contact within the council for Trinity to liaise with on homelessness applications would be beneficial. 11 Three other residents had moved out of Home Office hotel accommodation three to four months earlier and were now living in Trinity shared homes. One was struggling to secure employment; although he had engaged with the Jobcentre, he felt he had largely been left to manage the process himself. Another needed to transfer to a different college as the current one was no longer practical given his change in address. A further participant, also previously in Home Office accommodation but moved on around eighteen months ago, described the limited engagement he had received at that time due to large backlogs. He noted that processes had since improved, particularly now that the council receives advance notice when people are due to leave hotel accommodation, with t he Home Office currently required to give 28 days’ notice. This resident also raised concerns about his current accommodation, including a long- standing broken window which the landlord had refused to repair, leaving his room cold and noisy. He also reported difficulties with another resident involved in drug use, anti -social behaviour, and poor cleanliness, with police attendance on several occasions. Trinity staff were actively supporting him to collate evidence. His intention was to remain in his current home until completing his college course, after which he hoped to move on, potentially to Manchester, and would need support exploring suitable housing options. He and others agreed that experiences could be improved through clearer communication, particularly ensuring that new arrivals understand how local systems work and where to go for help. Spending more time with people at the outset, offering effective signposting, and adopting a proactive approach, especially during the 28-day notice period would allow earlier preparation around Universal Credit applications, understanding housing pathways, and managing expectations. The group further suggested that acting as a guarantor for first-time renters would significantly expand housing options. Trinity staff highlighted the lack of advance information about individuals expected to move through their services, noting that a rolling four -week forecast would enable earlier assessment and planning. Without this, support needs are often unclear, and several individuals do not attend as expected, either because they resolve their housing situations independently or because referral pathways lack coordination. Previous models such as the former singles team in Hillingdon had provided more stability and predictability, and recent developments suggested a possible return to this more structured approach. Overall, the group emphasised the value of a single point of contact, clear joint pathways, and collaborative assessments, including potential early engagement in hotel settings. They stressed the need for improved understanding of risks, demographics, and individual circumstances so that services can respond more proactively and “get ahead of the curve.” Oak Farm Residents’ Association A consultation session was held with 21 residents and visitors, alongside nine committee members and councillors, during which a presentation was delivered outlining statutory requirements for the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, key findings from the Homelessness Review, increasing service pressures, national policy changes and local challenges relating to temporary accommodation, private rented sector supply and immigration- related housing demand. Residents expressed strong concern about new arrivals being housed ahead of local households and reported frustration at the perceived lack of social housing lettings. Officers explained the distinction between high numbers of homelessness approaches from people leaving NASS accommodation and the much smaller proportion to whom the council owes a duty. Most of those owed a duty are housed in the private rented sector; typically, in shared accommodation for single people and, where there is no local connection, out-of-borough placements are more likely. Residents also raised concerns about the number of asylum hotels in Hillingdon, particularly around Heathrow, and felt that the borough was being treated unfairly. A wider discussion followed about national responsibilities, the shifting role of the Home Office, and the pressures this creates for local services. While acknowledging the council’s steps to manage HMOs through Article 4 and additional 12 licensing, some attendees questioned whether the use of HMOs for single homeless people inadvertently encouraged further conversions of family homes. There was a strong view that landlords were profiteering by purchasing family properties and turning them into HMOs, contributing to a reduction in the availability of family -sized homes. Overall, the session highlighted significant community concern around fairness, transparency, and the broader impacts of national policy pressures on local housing supply.

Appendix 4 Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy STEP A) Description of what is to be assessed and its relevance to equality What is being assessed? Review of a service  Staff restructure  Decommissioning a service  Changing a policy Tendering for a new service  A strategy or plan  Under the Homelessness Act 2002, it is a legal requirement for Hillingdon Council to publish a new homelessness strategy every five years, after completing a review into homelessness and rough sleeping within the borough. This assessment considers the proposed new Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026-2030 from an equality and human rights impact perspective. The draft Hillingdon Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026-2030 sets out the priorities for tackling homelessness and rough sleeping in the borough over the next five years. The findings of the homelessness and rough sleeping review have been used to shape the strategy, which outlines the main challenges and causes of homelessness and rough sleeping and provides a strategic plan to respond to these issues in Hillingdon. Who is accountable? E.g. Head of Service or Corporate Director Dan Kennedy, Corporate Director Residents Services Date assessment completed and approved by accountable person 4 March 2026 Names and job titles of people carrying out the assessment Debby Weller – Head of Housing Strategy and Policy Sachin Patel – Housing Policy and Strategy Officer Vicky Trott - Inclusion and Wellbeing Manager A.1) What are the main aims and intended benefits of what you are assessing? The strategy aims to intervene earlier, addressing the most common causes of homelessness such as private rented evictions, family/friend exclusions and loss of Home Office accommodation. This includes strengthening advice, targeted support for high‑risk groups, enhancing joint working, and expanding upstream prevention tools. Intended benefits:  Reduced number of households becoming homeless.  Faster and more sustainable resolutions at the prevention stage.  Improved stability for vulnerable groups (care experienced, survivors of domestic abuse, people with complex needs). The strategy seeks to significantly increase housing supply—both temporary and settled via property acquisitions, new council development, working with private landlords, and maximising existing stock. It also aims to reduce reliance on costly nightly‑paid temporary accommodation and increase the availability of long‑term, good‑quality alternatives. Intended benefits:  More residents quickly placed into settled, good‑quality homes.  Reduced financial pressure on the council.  Better health, educational and wellbeing outcomes for people in accommodation. A core priority is ensuring residents are treated with dignity, empathy and respect, and can easily understand their rights and responsibilities. The strategy commits to improving resident experience, communication, complaints handling, and service accessibility, while strengthening staff training and professional standards. Intended benefits:  More consistent, high‑quality interactions with residents.  Improved resident satisfaction and trust in services.  Staff enabled to provide empathetic, effective support. The strategy intends to ensure rough sleeping is rare, brief and non‑recurring. It strengthens housing pathways, increases supported accommodation (e.g., Trinity Shared Housing, Olympic House, SHAP), improves partnerships with health, voluntary and community services, and expands support for people with complex needs. Intended benefits:  Rapid support off the streets into safe accommodation.  Enhanced outcomes for people with mental health, substance misuse or multiple disadvantages.  More sustainable move‑on options, including shared housing and Housing First models. The strategy embeds better use of data, predictive analytics and real‑time performance monitoring to improve decision‑making, target resources effectively, and enhance transparency. Intended benefits:  More efficient services that focus on prevention rather than crisis.  Better forecasting of demand and improved planning.  Increased value for money for residents and the council. The overarching purpose of the strategy is to create a borough where homelessness is rare, brief and non‑recurring, ensuring every resident receives compassionate, timely and effective support, and has access to suitable accommodation and opportunities to rebuild their lives. A.2) Who are the service users or staff affected by what you are assessing? What is their equality profile? Anyone in Hillingdon could become homeless so all residents are potentially directly affected by the strategy. The Homelessness Review provides considerable analysis of households recently impacted by homelessness and provides a guide to understanding the types of households most likely to be affected in future. This Review is attached as Appendix 2 to the Cabinet Report. The equality data for Hillingdon borough residents taken from the Census 2021 is presented below: Age Aged 14 years and under 19.7% Aged 15 to 24 years 12.5% Aged 25 to 34 years 14.5% Aged 35 to 44 years 15.8% Aged 45 to 54 years 13.1% Aged 55 to 64 years 10.8% Aged 65 to 74 years 7.2% Aged 75 years and over 6.2% Household Composition One-person household: Aged 66 years and over 10.2% One-person household: Other 14.2% Single family household: All aged 66 years and over 6.0% Single family household: Married or civil partnership couple: No children 8.4% Single family household: Married or civil partnership couple: Dependent children 20.3% Single family household: Married or civil partnership couple: all children non-dependent 7.5% Single family household: Cohabiting couple family: No children 4.1% Single family household: Cohabiting couple family: With dependent children 3.1% Single family household: Cohabiting couple family: All children non- dependent 0.7% Single family household: Lone parent family: With dependent children 7.3% Single family household: Lone parent family: All children non-dependent 5.4% Other household types: Other related household: Other family composition 1.2% Other household types: With dependent children 6.1% Other household types: Other, including all full-time students and all aged 66 years and over 5.5% Household size 1 person in household 24.4% 2 people in household 27.1% 3 people in household 18.8% 4 people in household 17.3% 5 people in household 7.6% 6 people in household 3.0% 7 people in household 1.1% 8 or more people in household 0.9% Sex Female 50.6% Male 49.4% Ethnic Group Asian, Asian British or Asian Welsh 33.3% Black, Black British, Black Welsh, Caribbean or African 7.8% Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups 4.4% White 48.2% Other ethnic group 6.3% Religion No religion 19.4% Christian 39.0% Buddhist 0.9% Hindu 10.8% Jewish 0.5% Muslim 14.4% Sikh 8.6% Other religion 0.9% Not answered 5.6% Sexual orientation Straight or Heterosexual 88.91% Gay or Lesbian 0.90% Bisexual 0.96% All other sexual orientations 0.36% Not answered 8.87% Disability Disabled under the Equality Act: Day-to-day activities limited a lot 6.5% Disabled under the Equality Act: Day-to-day activities limited a lot 8.2% Not disabled under the Equality Act 85.3% The table below shows the ethnic background of Homelessness Applicants during the year 2024/25 Ethnicity of homeless applicants Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total White 105 28.2% 113 27.6% 169 25.1% 122 19.6% 509 25.1% Black / African / Caribbean / Black British 74 19.9% 95 23.2% 170 25.3% 193 30.9% 532 24.8% Asian / Asian British 83 22.3% 91 22.2% 174 25.9% 144 23.1% 492 23.4% Mixed / Multiple ethnic groups 25 6.7% 15 3.7% 28 4.2% 23 3.7% 91 4.6% Other ethnic groups 64 17.2% 79 19.3% 105 15.6% 113 18.1% 361 17.6% Not known 21 5.6% 16 3.9% 27 4.0% 29 4.6% 93 4.6% The table below shows the sex of Housing Register Applicants and those on the Housing Register who are homeless as at 31 March 2025 Housing Register Applicants by sex Whole register Homeless Male 1016 (32%) 328 (37%) Female 2173 (68%) 564 (63%) Unknown/other 5 (less than 1%) 3 (less than 1%) Total 3194 895 The table below shows the ethnic background of Housing Register Applicants and those on the Housing Register who are homeless as at 31 March 2025 Ethnicity of Homeless Applicants Whole register Homeless White 1090 (34%) 166 (19%) Black/ African/ Caribbean/ Black British 543 (17%) 117 (13%) Asian/ Asian British 453 (14%) 127 (14%) Mixed/ Multiple Ethnic groups 91 (3%) 19 (2%) Other Ethnic groups 193 (6%) 65 (7%) Not Known 824 (26%) 401 (45%) Total 3194 (100%) 895 (100%) The table below shows the sex, nationality and age of Rough Sleepers at the annual count in November 2025 compared to November 2024. The information of those rough sleeping at Heathrow airport is included in the total figures. Data on vulnerabilities and support needs Local data During 2024/25 there were 187 rough sleepers seen bedded down in Hillingdon borough (excluding Annual Hillingdon Rough Sleepers Count Nov-2024 Totals Nov-2024 % Nov-2025 Totals Nov-2025 % Total 37 40 Sex Female 6 16.22% 7 17.50% Male 31 83.78% 33 82.50% Nationality UK 15 40.54% 9 22.50% EU 4 10.81% 6 15.00% Other non-UK 13 35.14% 24 60.00% Not known 5 13.51% 1 2.50% Age Under 18 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 18 to 25 4 10.81% 7 17.50% Over 25 26 70.27% 32 80.00% Not known 7 18.92% 1 2.50% Heathrow) with a mental health support need, 106 with a drugs related support need and 96 with alcohol related support need. There were 49 rough sleepers with more than one support need and 121 with no alcohol, drugs or mental health support needs. (CHAIN data) The corresponding figures for Heathrow were: 128 rough sleepers at Heathrow with a mental health support need, 49 with an alcohol related support need and 49 drugs. There were 106 rough sleepers with more than one support need and 168 with no alcohol, drugs or mental health support needs. The proportion of female rough sleepers is much higher at Heathrow accounting for between 23% and 29% each year since 2020/21. Of the rough sleepers in Hillingdon borough in 2024/25 there were 9 people previously in the armed forces, 86 in prison and 21 care leavers. The corresponding numbers for Heathrow were 8 previously in the armed forces, 43 prison and 9 care leavers. We have a growing cohort of people facing homelessness and rough sleeping after being moved on from Home Office accommodation. Hillingdon has the highest concentration of asylum seekers in contingency hotel accommodation in any London borough. A growing number are becoming street homeless. Bailiff warrants for private sector evictions are by far the most prominent reason for bookings into nightly paid accommodation, accounting for 42% of all bookings in 2024/25. This rises to 58% of bookings for families requiring 3 bedrooms and 82% of bookings for those requiring 4 bedrooms or more. Other prominent reasons for bookings are domestic abuse (13%), ending of Home Office accommodation (11%), and friends and family evictions (9%). The most common booking reason for those needing a single bedroom was domestic abuse, accounting for 18% of bookings, followed by hospital discharge (14%) and bailiff warrant/PRS eviction, medical and, ending of Home Office accommodation (all 13%) National data According to the homeless charity Crisis, research from Stonewall shows that one in five LGBT people have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. Rates are even higher amongst trans people, with 25% having experienced homelessness at some point. 77% of LGBTQ+ young people gave, 'family rejection, abuse or being asked to leave home' as a cause of their homelessness. LGBTQ+ and Homelessness - Statistics and Support | Crisis UK According to the UK firm Cordis Bright, there is evidence to suggest that the prevalence of neurodivergence (in particular autism/autistic traits) is high among people experiencing homelessness. For example, two small-scale studies suggest that between 12% and 18% of people accessing homelessness services may be autistic, compared to about 1% of the general population in the UK. Post | Cordis Bright A.3) Who are the stakeholders in this assessment and what is their interest in it? Stakeholders Interest Hillingdon residents, those who are homeless, or those at risk of homelessness To ensure that they have access to affordable, secure, suitable and appropriate housing that meets their needs, in particular those households with vulnerable adults and/or children. To ensure that they live in a borough where homelessness is rare, brief and non‑recurring. To ensure that they receive compassionate, timely and effective support. To ensure that they have access to suitable accommodation; are treated with dignity, empathy and respect; and can easily understand their rights and responsibilities. To ensure that the Homelessness Strategy and any subsequent policies are robust, fair and transparent. To ensure that the council is meeting its statutory duties including but not limited to those under the Housing Act 1985; Housing Act 1986; Homelessness Act 2002; Homeless Reduction Act 2017; Housing and Regeneration Act 2008. Corporate Management Team To ensure that Hillingdon residents have access to affordable, secure, suitable and appropriate housing that meets their needs, in particular those households with vulnerable adults and/or children. To ensure that Hillingdon residents live in a borough where homelessness is rare, brief and non‑recurring. To ensure that Hillingdon residents receive compassionate, timely and effective support. To ensure that Hillingdon residents have access to suitable accommodation; are treated with dignity, empathy and respect; and can easily understand their rights and responsibilities. To ensure that the Homelessness Strategy and any subsequent policies are robust, fair and transparent. To ensure that the council is meeting its statutory duties including but not limited to those under the Housing Act 1985; Housing Act 1986; Homelessness Act 2002; Homeless Reduction Act 2017; Housing and Regeneration Act 2008. To ensure value for money in service delivery. Leader of the Council and Cabinet Members To ensure that Hillingdon residents have access to affordable, secure, suitable and appropriate housing that meets their needs, in particular those households with vulnerable adults and/or children. To ensure that Hillingdon residents live in a borough where homelessness is rare, brief and non‑recurring. To ensure that Hillingdon residents receive compassionate, timely and effective support. To ensure that Hillingdon residents have access to suitable accommodation; are treated with dignity, empathy and respect; and can easily understand their rights and responsibilities. To ensure that the Homelessness Strategy and any subsequent policies are robust, fair and transparent. To ensure that the council is meeting its statutory duties including but not limited to those under the Housing Act 1985; Housing Act 1986; Homelessness Act 2002; Homeless Reduction Act 2017; Housing and Regeneration Act 2008. To ensure value for money in service delivery. Voluntary, Community and other Public Sector Partners with an interest in homelessness To ensure that Hillingdon residents have access to affordable, secure, suitable and appropriate housing that meets their needs, in particular those households with vulnerable adults and/or children. To ensure that Hillingdon residents live in a borough where homelessness is rare, brief and non‑recurring. To ensure that Hillingdon residents receive compassionate, timely and effective support. To ensure that Hillingdon residents have access to suitable accommodation; are treated with dignity, empathy and respect; and can easily understand their rights and responsibilities. To ensure that the Homelessness Strategy and any subsequent policies are robust, fair and transparent. To ensure that the council is meeting its statutory duties including but not limited to those under the Housing Act 1985; Housing Act 1986; Homelessness Act 2002; Homeless Reduction Act 2017; Housing and Regeneration Act 2008. A.4) Which protected characteristics or community issues are relevant to the assessment?  in the box. Age  Sex  Disability  Sexual Orientation  Gender reassignment  Socio-economic status Marriage or civil partnership Carers Pregnancy or maternity Community Cohesion Race/Ethnicity  Community Safety Religion or belief Human Rights  STEP B) Consideration of information; data, research, consultation, engagement B.1) Consideration of information and data - what have you got and what is it telling you? Ethnicity In 2024/25, the ethnic profile of homeless applicants in Hillingdon shows notable disparities when compared to the borough's overall population based on the 2021 Census1. Those who identify as White make up around 48.2% of Hillingdon’s population but accounted for only 25.1% of homeless applicants. Conversely, Black / African / Caribbean / Black British individuals represented 24.8% of homeless applicants, despite comprising just 7.8% of the general population. This highlights a significant overrepresentation. Asian / Asian British residents were also underrepresented, making up 23.4% of homeless applicants compared to 33.3% of the population. Other ethnic groups were overrepresented at 17.6% of applicants versus 6.3% of the population. Mixed / multiple ethnic groups were proportionally represented, with 4.6% of applicants compared to 4.4% of the population. These figures suggest that homelessness in Hillingdon disproportionately affects those from Black and Other ethnic communities. It is not possible to draw any significant conclusions from the ethnicity data of those who are homeless on the Housing Register as 45% of this data is unknown however those from a Black background are more likely to be homeless on the register compared to the borough profile as a whole. Rough sleepers are more likely to be from Non-UK backgrounds. Sex As with the housing register as whole, homeless families are more likely to have been registered with a female applicant. Rough sleepers in Hillingdon are more likely to be male. Disability The data shows that rough sleepers in Hillingdon are more likely to have mental health and/or drug and/or alcohol misuse support needs. 1 How life has changed in Hillingdon: Census 2021 National data suggests that those who are neurodiverse are more likely to experience homelessness. Sexual orientation National data suggests that those from LGBTQ+ communities are more likely to experience homelessness. Consultation B.2) Did you carry out any consultation or engagement as part of this assessment? Please tick  NO  YES  The draft strategy has undergone a 6-week consultation process involving a wide range of staff, partner organisations and Hillingdon residents including some with lived experience of homelessness and rough sleeping. The survey methodology included an online survey, use of social media to promote the survey, workshops with staff and partners and a homelessness forum. Full details of the consultation are included in appendix 3 of the Cabinet Report and a short summary is provided below. A total of 52 survey responses were received alongside extensive qualitative feedback from staff, partners, and residents. Overall residents showed majority support for all five strategic priorities, with particularly strong endorsement for: Priority 3 – Access to safe, suitable and sustainable accommodation: 75% agreed or strongly agreed, making it the most supported priority. Priority 2– Resident focused homelessness service: (now reordered as priority 1 in the revised draft): 71% agreed or strongly agreed. Priority 1– Prevention (now reordered as priority 2 in the revised draft): 62% agreed or strongly agreed. Support was slightly lower for: Priority 4 – Targeted pathways for single homeless and rough sleepers: Agreement and disagreement were more balance, reflecting mixed views. Priority 5 – Modern, data-led and cost-effective services: 58% felt the priority aligned with their expectations. Overall, the consultation shows:  Broad support for the direction of the strategy.  Strongly articulated concerns about temporary accommodation pressures, system coordination, fairness and communication.  A clear need for enhanced multi-agency working, data-led improvement, and more proactive, preventative pathways.  Community and partner anxiety about national policy pressures – particularly migration and Private Rented Sector instability – and their impact on local services. Results broken down by different households characteristics are shown below: Priority 1 – “To what extent do you agree with priority one?” Overall narrative Responses to Priority 1 showed the widest spread of views and the lowest levels of agreement compared with all other priorities in the consultation. Many respondents—especially those expressing concerns about migration, local housing allocation, or fairness—used Priority 1 to articulate broader scepticism about current approaches. Demographically: Sex  Female respondents displayed notably higher agreement, with 23 agreeing or strongly agreeing, compared with only 7 males.  Males showed more disagreement, indicating a more critical stance toward the first priority. Age  Strongest agreement came from older respondents (55–64 and 65+), who consistently supported prevention focused priorities.  Respondents aged 25–34 showed mixed support, often aligning their views with personal housing challenges or frustrations with the current system. Ethnicity  Black and Asian respondents demonstrated higher agreement rates compared to White respondents.  White respondents expressed the widest range of disagreement, sometimes linked to concerns about asylum seekers or perceived competition for housing. Interpretation Priority 1—often centred on early intervention and prevention—elicits differing beliefs about who should be prioritised, what fairness means, and how prevention should be delivered. Agreement is strongest among older and minority ethnic respondents, while disagreement clusters around residents expressing frustration with resource allocation or lived experience of homelessness. Priority 2 – “To what extent do you agree with priority two?” Overall narrative Priority 2 shows substantially stronger support across almost every demographic group. It is one of the most widely supported priorities. Sex  Female agreement rises to 28, compared with 7 males, continuing a clear gender pattern of stronger female support.  All gender groups show increased support compared with Priority 1. Age  55–64 and 65+ groups strongly support Priority 2, with consistent agreement across these age brackets.  Younger groups (25–34) continue to be mixed but show slightly higher agreement than for Priority 1. Ethnicity  Black and Asian respondents continue to show strong endorsement.  White respondents show higher agreement here than in Priority 1, suggesting that this priority resonates more broadly. Interpretation Priority 2 is perceived as practical, deliverable, and aligned with real community needs, especially regarding partnership working and system improvements. The strong support indicates broad confidence in this area of the strategy, with relatively little pushback compared with Priority 1. Priority 3 – “To what extent do you agree with priority three?” Overall narrative Priority 3 receives one of the highest levels of support across all demographics. Sex  Female agreement peaks at 28, and male agreement also increases to 8, showing more alignment across genders.  “Prefer not to say” respondents also increase to 3, reflecting broader support. Age  Older residents again show very high endorsement.  Younger groups express strong support where the priority relates to vulnerability, tailored support, or service quality. Ethnicity  Black respondents give especially strong agreement, reflecting the priority’s relevance to groups disproportionately affected by homelessness.  Asian and mixed ethnicity respondents also show consistent support. Interpretation Respondents appear to strongly endorse the idea of targeted, needs based support for specific at-risk groups (e.g., those with complex needs, domestic abuse survivors, rough sleepers). This priority resonates because it is seen as compassionate, equitable, and addressing real gaps in current provision. Priority 4 – “To what extent do you agree with priority four?” Overall narrative Agreement remains high, though slightly lower than Priority 3. Sex  Female agreement (23) outpaces male support (6), maintaining the core gender trend.  Priority 4 shows slightly more scepticism than P2–P3 but remains broadly supported. Age  Older age groups strongly support this priority, maintaining the highest endorsement levels.  Younger respondents show more variability, often linking their agreement or disagreement to individual housing experiences. Ethnicity  Strong support across Black and Asian groups continues.  White respondents show higher disagreement than other groups, reflecting concerns expressed in comments about fairness, competition for resources, and asylum policies. Interpretation Priority 4—often linked to quality, accountability, or partnership structures—is still well supported but can trigger concerns regarding fairness, resource allocation, or implementation challenges. Nonetheless, the majority still express confidence in the value of this priority. Priority 5 – “To what extent do you agree with priority five?” Overall narrative Priority 5 shows strong endorsement but slightly lower agreement rates than P2 and P3. Sex  Female agreement (21) remains significantly higher than male (7).  This priority sees the largest gender gap, reinforcing the overall trend of stronger female alignment with strategic direction. Age  Again, older groups (55–64 and 65+) show strong support.  Younger residents (25–34) show mixed but generally positive sentiment. Ethnicity  Black and Asian respondents maintain high levels of agreement.  White ethnic groups display a mixed range of responses, often influenced by comments around resource pressures or housing eligibility. Interpretation Priority 5—often framed around delivery, performance, or systems change—is broadly supported but may feel more technical or operational to some respondents. Those with direct experience of homelessness services tended to agree more strongly, recognising the need for better resourcing, staffing, and coordinated delivery. Summary Across All Five Priorities by equality characteristics Sex  Females consistently agree more than males across every priority.  Male respondents are more likely to express disagreement or scepticism. Age  Support strengthens with age, with the 55–64 and 65+ groups showing the highest agreement across all priorities. Ethnicity  Black and Asian respondents show the strongest overall support.  White respondents show the most variation and highest disagreement levels, often connected to themes around fairness and migration. General Trend  Priorities 2 and 3 received the strongest support.  Priority 1 received the most disagreement.  Overall, the strategy is strongly supported by most respondents—particularly older adults, women, and global majority ethnic groups. B.3) Provide any other information to consider as part of the assessment Legal context The council has a public duty to pay due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations (Equality Act 2010) The council also has a number of statutory duties with regards to homelessness that are incorporated in the following:  Housing Act 1985  Housing Act 1986  Homelessness Act 2002  Homeless Reduction Act 2017  Housing and Regeneration Act 2008  Localism Act 2011  Armed Forces Act 2006  Asylum and Immigration Act 1996  Immigration and Asylum Act 1999  Children Act 2004  Data Protection Act 2018  European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020  Homeless Code of Guidance for Local Authorities 2018 last updated June 2024  The London Housing Strategy  Tenancy Strategy  Housing Strategy  Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) Regulations 2006  Allocation of Accommodation: Code of Guidance for Housing Authorities June 2012, last updated June 2024  Providing social housing for local people, December 2013  Right to Move and social housing allocations, March 2015  Improving access to social housing for victims of domestic abuse, November 2018  Improving access to social housing for members of the armed forces, June 2020  The regulatory standard for registered providers of social housing in England  National Plan to End Homelessness, MHCLG, Dec 2025 Financial context The General Fund budget for the Homelessness Prevention & Lettings service meets the costs of the Council's statutory duties in this area, and has a budgeted gross cost of £19,206k in 2025/26. A £6,854k temporary accommodation (TA) pressure was reported against client groups included in the MTFS TA model (General Needs, Rough Sleepers and other cohorts) in M9- 2025-26. The risk of further overspend in 2025/26 against homelessness costs remains high given the rising levels of homeless presentations and the challenges in securing suitable alternative accommodation to prevent homelessness, particularly in the private rented sector. C) Assessment and conclusions The strategy introduces positive measures to prevent homelessness, increase housing supply, support staff well-being, treat residents with respect and empathy and introduce improvements to working processes. These changes are intended to have positive impacts for all groups especially those who have been identified as part of this assessment who may be over-represented in the homeless cohort. These groups include those who identify as Black, vulnerable families, those who have mental health and/or drug and/or alcohol support needs, those experiencing domestic abuse, those from the LGBTQ+ community and those who are neurodiverse. Although the consultation results show differences in the extent to which respondents agree with the priorities in the strategy overall, the strategy is strongly supported by most respondents. This is particularly so for older adults, women, and those from global majority groups. We will continue to monitor the impacts of the strategy, especially for those with protected characteristics. Additional equality impact assessments will be completed as necessary for significant initiatives/policies developed as part of implementing the homelessness strategy. Signed and dated:………4 March 2026 Name and position:………Debby Weller Head of Housing Strategy and Policy Sachin Patel Housing Policy and Strategy Officer Vicky Trott, Inclusion and Wellbeing Manager

Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) HOUSING HRA FORWARD INVESTMENT PROGRAMME 2026/27 (INCLUDING 2025/26 REVIEW) Cabinet Member & Portfolio Cllr Jonathan Bianco – Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Property Cllr Steve Tuckwell - Planning, Housing and Growth Responsible Officer Daniel Kennedy, Corporate Director of Residents Services Report Author & Directorate Gary Penticost, Director of Operational Assets Papers with report Appendix 1 – review of 2025/26 year HEADLINES Summary The report details the significant investment planned for the Council’s housing stock to both upgrade tenants’ homes and make them more energy efficient for the 2026/2027 financial year. The report also seeks delegated authority to implement the programme over the year within approved budgets and contracts. Progress will be subject to oversight by Cabinet Members The report ’s appendix also includes a look back at delivering the previous year’s programme for Member review and transparency. Putting our Residents First Delivering on the Council Strategy 2022-2026 This report supports our ambition for residents / the Council of: Live in good quality, affordable homes in connected communities This report supports our commitments to residents of: Thriving, Healthy Households Financial Cost Following approval at the Cabinet meeting on 26th February 2026, the HRA Works to Stock 2026/27 Capital Programme has a budget of £30,997k, the Green Homes Initiative has a budget of £10,250k, and HRA Adaptations has a budget of £4,100k. The recommendations within this report propose the continuation of the streamlined approach for the release of these funds, enabling the effective delivery of the programme while maintaining robust and appropriate controls over expenditure. Select Committee Corporate Services & Infrastructure Ward(s) All Wards Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) RECOMMENDATIONS That the Cabinet: 1. Note the delivery of the 2025/26 Housing Revenue Account (H RA) Works to Stock Programme set out in the report, which has continued to provide essential upgrades to the Council’s housing stock, along with higher energy efficiency standards and improvements to the quality of life of tenants, set out in Appendix 1. 2. Agrees the HRA Works to Stock Programme for the ensuing 2026/27 financial year; and approves the release of the HRA WTS Capital Programme budget, as set out in this report. 3. To deliver this Programme, d elegate authority to the Corporate Director of Residents Services, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services & Property to: a. Utilise existing internal or external framework agreements or develop new LBH framework agreements for Cabinet approval, to enable the effective delivery of appropriate works, tenders, and contracts. b. Approve the procurement of individual projects and works set out, including using any approved LBH framework or term contract by Cabinet. c. Release project specific capital funds for the specific works, as set out in the programme, and strictly within approved budgets and subject to any internal spend control requirements. d. Agree minor variations to specific projects within the programme, subject to agreement from the Cabinet Member for Corporate Services & Property. e. Make any other operational decisions required to implement the programme and works agreed by the Cabinet. 4. Agree that relevant portfolio Cabinet Members receive regular updates on progress delivering the programme and spend. Reasons for recommendation This is an annual report to agree the programme of works and projects for the ensuing financial year and to also provide delegated authority to officers to streamline decision -making where necessary for efficient delivery of the programme, subject to Cabinet agreement. This important programme of works, led by the Operational Assets division of the Council, ensures that the council manages essential upgrades to the housing stock, ensures that houses, flats, and their tenants are safe and also is increasingly now transitioning properties to higher energy efficient standards, such as through new boilers and home insulation. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) Alternative options considered / risk management Cabinet could choose to amend the specific works programme as set out in the report for 2026/27. Also, Cabinet could decide to not delegate to officers and maintain existing authority levels at Cabinet or Cabinet Member level for individual projects and spend on a case-by-case basis. Democratic compliance / previous authority The proposed decision‑making approach allows Cabinet to set the strategy, overall programme and budget, and then delegate delivery to officers within approved financial budgets and procurement frameworks. Officers will, in turn, remain accountable to Cabinet Members for progress and delivery. Given the significance of th e housing improvement prog ramme, streamlined delegated authority is important to ensure timely project delivery each year. Select Committee comments None at this stage. 2026/27 Programme The Operational Assets team lead on delivery of all planned works to the Council’s housing stock and will continue to use and develop framework agreements where possible to deliver works programmes for the new financial year 2026/27. The planned programme for 2026/27 includes the following activity: Roofing Programme: Property locations requiring essential roofing works have been identified through referrals from the Reactive Repairs team and analysis of the Council’s asset database. These locations are currently being surveyed by external consultants, to confirm the sc ope of works, cost estimates, and programme viability. This forms part of the 2026/27 programme. Subject to the completion of condition surveys, the Section 20 consultation process will be undertaken, followed by tendering, with a view to commencing works in Spring 2026 and completing the programme by Autumn 2027. The final number of properties to receive roof replacements will be confirmed once surveys, budget estimates, and consultation outcomes have been completed. Window replacement: The Window Renewa l Programme will prioritise the replacement of first ‑ generation metal and aluminium‑ framed windows in solid wall properties, targeting approximately 500 homes as an initial phase. These windows are reaching the end of their useful life and have been identi fied through asset data and stock condition surveys as contributing to poor thermal performance, cold bridging, and increased condensation risk. Replacing them with modern, insulated double‑ glazed units will significantly improve thermal efficiency, reduce heat loss, and enhance ventilation, forming a key intervention in preventing damp, mould, and condensation. This programme supports the Council’s wider decency, health, and compliance objectives, including Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) meeting regulatory expectations around proactive damp and mould prevention in higher ‑ risk property types. Framework agreements are now in place and contractors appointed for the supply and installation of A+ Double glazed window installations in non-leasehold, street properties. Green Homes Initiative: The Green Homes Initiative targets street properties with an EPC rating below band C, upgrading homes to meet the government requirement for all properties to achieve a minimum EPC rating of C by 2030. The programme will improve energy efficiency, reduce fuel poverty, and enhance living conditions for residents. This will be supported by the installation of heat recovery fans, successfully delivered through the SHDF Wave 1 project. Solid wall properties are being reviewed to assess further measures, such as external or internal wall insulation, alongside consideration of potential development opportunities where appropriate. Delivery will be undertaken through the Council’s approved LBH Minor Works Framework. Kitchen Renewals: Approximately 1,000 kitchens are planned for replacement through the new framework agreements. This programme will support compliance with the Decent Homes Standard and contribute to reducing non ‑ decent homes to around 5% through the Council’s rolling planned maintenance programmes, improving overall housing quality and resident outcomes. Bathroom Renewals: Approximately 800 bathrooms are planned for replacement and will be delivered through the Council’s approved framework contractors. This programme will support compliance with the Decent Homes Standard and contribute to reducing non ‑ decent homes to around 5% through the Council’s rolling planned maintenance programmes, improving property condition, resident wellbeing, and overall housing quality. HRA Adaptations: HRA adaptations will continue to be delivered to support residents with disabilities and mobility needs, in line with the Council’s duties under the Equality Act 2010. This programme ensures that reasonable adjustments are made to enable residents to live safe ly and independently in their homes. Delivery of adaptations supports compliance with housing and equality legislation while improving accessibility, resident wellbeing, and long ‑ term tenancy sustainability across the housing stock. Domestic and Communal Boilers: This replacement programme will continue into 2026/27, with a projected further 425 obsolete domestic units scheduled for replacement across houses and flats. For communal boiler systems, major works are currently programmed for the communal heating system at Colley House, including the installation of heat meters and a full upgrade of the boiler plant. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) Electrical Safety and Planned works:  Passenger lifts upgrade: Phase 8 4No Lifts within Sheltered Housing due in 2026/27, which also includes the installation of remote monitoring on all General Needs Housing Lifts with in the Housing Stock. Officers are reviewing the remaining stock with a view to implementing a further phased refurbishment programme for the remaining stock not included within P hases 1- 8.  Door Entry & Access Control: Planned programme to deliver upgrade of Access Control Systems within 120No general needs communal Blocks planned for 2026/27 programme.  Aico Gateway Installation: Continuation of the Aico Gateway Monitor installation programme to include installation alongside the EICR’s to 2000No. properties per annum delivered by the two existing electrical term contractors with a 1000no.p roperties each, whilst delivering the Statutory compliance EICR programme.  Emergency Lighting Phased replacement of 230v Emergency Lighting within general needs housing block with review of monitoring systems to remove the costs and need for monthly emergency lighting visits and to alleviate current issue of large-scale battery replacement requirement due to age of existing fittings and provide energy efficiency savings. Officers reviewing current systems and will implement a pilot scheme on approx. 10No blocks to be delivered by existing Term Contractors prior to full role out. Replacement of 24v LED Boards within blocks containing Commulite remote monitoring system that have 7-year warranties expiring. Replacement of boards allows for a further 7 Year warranty term. Officers reviewing which blocks will demonstrate Value For Money by undergoing warranty works.  Fire Detection Ongoing works for replacement programme for expiring 10 -year Mains Fire Detection Devices within Dwellings, combined with installation of Aico Gateway project and delivered by Term Contractors. Fire Door Replacement programme: The planned fire ‑ door replacement programme will continue throughout 2026 /7, focusing on door‑ set upgrades identified through Fire Safety Risk Assessments. The programme’s completion timeline will align with the commitments the Council has already provided to the Regulator of Social Housing regarding building‑ safety compliance. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) Compliance and Fire Safety: This programme delivers essential annual building‑ safety and engineering activities across the Council’s housing and corpor ate property portfolio. The team is responsible for managing all statutory compliance workstreams — including Gas Safety, Electrical Testing, Legionella, Asbestos, and Fire (Building Safety). This includes statutory servicing, planned maintenance, and associated capital works, ensuring that all buildings remain safe, compliant, and fit for residents and staff. Revenue Expenditure: In addition to the Works to Stock capital programme, dedicated revenue budgets are in place to maintain the conditi on of the housing stock. These budgets support day ‑ to‑ day repairs, servicing, and cyclical maintenance, helping to preserve asset condition, address emerging issues promptly, and sustain compliance with regulatory and decency standards alongside the planned investment programme. Procurement activity and further framework agreements in the pipeline: Corporate Procurement is working closely with the service area to support the effective delivery of works, tenders, and contracts. This includes the development of framework agreements for specific services and longer‑ term term contracts to use, where appropriate, for Cabinet approval. Financial Implications The 2026/27 HRA Programme of Works and Green Homes Initiatives capital profile has been approved as part of the Council’s 2026/27 Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS). This report therefore seeks the release of the capital programme budget for 2026/27 and to confirm the delivery arrangements and delegated authority required to implement the approved programme within agreed budgets and procurement frameworks. At Month 9, under the existing MTFS, the HRA Programme of Works and Green Homes Initiatives programme has a combined revised budget of £51.0m for 2025/26. Forecast outturn expenditure is £34.7m. This represents a total rephasing variance of £16.2m for 2025/26. Within this position, the Works to Stock programme has a revised budget of £36.9m and is forecasting £30.2m, resulting in rephasing of £6.6m. The Green Homes Initiatives progra mme has a revised budget of £14.1m and is forecasting £4.5m, resulting in rephasing of £9.6m. There are no reported cost variances within these workstreams; the variance relates entirely to timing adjustments. The existing five -year MTFS profile for these programmes totals £181.3m, with the five -year forecast aligned to budget and no overall variance. The rephasing identified in 2025/26 is reflected within that five-year envelope and does not represent a reduction in overall investment. As part of the approved 2026/27 Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS), an updated five-year Programme of Works profile has been agreed. Under the approved MTFS, Works to Stock totals £141.0m over the period 2026/27 to 2030/31, and the Green Homes Initiative totals £34.9m over the same period. These figures form the Council’s approved five-year capital profile for these workstreams and supersede the previous MTFS profiling. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) The approved 2026/27 MTFS establishes the capital envelope for the HRA Programme of Works and Green Homes Initiatives over the five-year period. Any material variation to these approved totals will require further Cabinet approval in accordance with the Council’s capital governance framework. The Programme of Works and Green Homes Initiatives continue to be financed through the HRA capital funding framework, including Major Repairs Reserve, Revenue Contributions to Capital Outlay, supported HRA borrowing within approved headroom and external grant funding where available. The £16.2m rephasing in 2025/26 im pacts the timing of financing requirements but does not alter the underlying affordability assumptions within the HRA Business Plan. The delegated authority will enable delivery strictly within approved MTFS budgets and procurement arrangements. Quarterly monitoring will continue to be reported to Cabinet Members to ensure appropriate financial oversight. Table 1 - HRA Works to Stock Programme and specific planned works to the housing stock 2025/26 planned works budget and proposed planned works for the 2026/27 financial year in accordance with the approved budget. Workstream  2025/26  2026/27  Revised Budget   Revised Budget  2026/27      £’000  £’000  Electrics Programme 2,015.0 1,990.0 External Decorations 4,074.5 - Contingency 144.0 Fire Safety Programme 2,821.6 - Gas - Domestic Boiler 2,888.6 1,500.0 HRA WTS Unallocated Budget 1,385.0 - Playground Replacement Programme   219.0 Kitchens and Bathrooms 11,572.3 11,572.0 Lifts Programme 300.0 600.0 Planned Remedial Works and Voids 1,800.0 1,380.0 Playground Replacement Programme - - Roofing Programme 4,136.0 4,136.0 Structural Works Programme - 1,500.0 Warm Safe Dry 1,557.6 3,649.0 Windows Programme 4,306.5 4,307.0 HRA Works to Stock Programme Total 36,857.1 30,997.0 Green Homes Initiatives Programme 14,127.9 10,250.0 HRA Programme of works Total 50,985.0 41,247.0 Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) Elements of the works within the above programme will be subject to statutory leaseholder consultation. The council will seek leaseholder contributions on post completion of the works, which will reduce the financing contribution from the HRA major repairs reserve. To ensure accountability and transparency there will be reporting to the relevant portfolio cabinet members. The report will include updates of progress on delivery of the programme, capital released, spend to date, and forecast spend for monitoring purposes, this report will highlight any significant variations to the programme. Any significant variations or any change in budget to the programme will be reported back to Cabinet. The HRA WTS workstream expenditure will be managed in line with the approved budget alongside approved spend control panel and exercised under the a ppropriate scheme of delegation. RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION The benefit or impact upon Hillingdon residents, service users, and communities This report will enable transparent approval of the important housing works programme and help streamline the decision -making process in this area of council activity, speeding up project delivery, the transformation of the housing stock and ultimately resident satisfaction. Consultation carried out or required. No external consultation required. CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS Corporate Finance Corporate Finance have reviewed this report and concurs with the Financial Implications set out above, noting the recommendations to approve the HRA Works to Stock Programme for 2026/27 as detailed in the table above and to release the associated Capital Programme budget in line with the budget approved at Cabinet and Council in February 2026. Furthermore, it is noted that upon release of the HRA Works to Stock Capital Programme budget, all associated expenditure exceeding £500 will be subject to the Spend Control Panel process. The expenditure and performance of the programme will be monitored through the established monthly budget monitoring cycle and quarterly summary reports provided to the relevant Cabinet Member to ensure continued oversight of the programme and adherence to the approved budget. Any v ariations to the overall programme or approved programme budget will be reported to Cabinet for approval. Contracts procured through framework agreements or existing term contractor arrangements will fall under the delegated authority of the Corporate Director of Residents Services, contracts Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) outside of these arrangements will be subject to the tender approval process, in accordance with the Council’s scheme of delegations or as delegated by Cabinet. Legal Legal Services confirm that the Council is responsible for these maintenance, improvement and repair functions in relation to its housing stock pursuant to various statutory provisions, including sections 9-10 of the Housing Act 1985, sections 9A, 10A and 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. Furthermore, as a registered provider of social housing, the Council is subject to the Regulator for Social Housing’s powers. The Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 strengthened the powers of the Regulator for Social Housing by amending the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008. Under section 193 of the Housing and Regenerati on Act 2008, the Regulator can set standards for registered providers to meet in connection with the accommodation and services they provide. The Regulator introduced 5 new standards effective 1 st April 2024, one being the Safety and Quality Standard. The Safety and Quality Standard require the Council to provide safe and good quality homes for its tenants, along with good quality landlord services. Should the Council fail to meet the Regulator’s standards, it may be subject to enforcement action under Chapter 7 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008, which could result in a range of sanctions. There are no legal impediments to agreeing the recommendations set out in the report. Agreeing to the recommendations will ensure the Council is delivering on its obligations as a social housing landlord and will assist with reducing the potential for disrepair claims by tenants and enforcement action by the Regulator for Social Housing. Any contract tha t the Council enters must comply with the Council’s Procurement Standing Orders. Contracts exceeding a certain threshold also need to comply with the applicable procurement legislation. Depending on the date of the procurement activity, this will either be the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 or the Procurement Act 2023. As and when specific projects within the HRA Works to Stock programme are the subject of decision reports, more specific comments will be provided by Legal Services. Property The servicing and work programs outlined within this report will ensure effective maintenance of the Council Housing stock. BACKGROUND PAPERS NIL. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) Appendix 1 - Review of Works- Programmes and Projects 2025/26 The Operational Assets team have continued to deliver across a wide range of work areas in 2025/26. Working with the Procurement team, we are developing and using framework agreements to deliver works and where leaseholder consultation and recharges are required, we are continuing to tender work packages to ensure that we are compliant with leaseholder consultation requirements. The mix of works throughout the year not only included required internal and structural works to improve the fabric of the housing stock and corporate buildings, but they also included all additional works to deliver substantial investment in the stock to meet future energy efficiency requirements and to support delivery of the Council’s climate change strategy targets. The Warm Safe and Dry Budget i s allocated to enable capital works to services and equipment (CCTV systems, door entry, security systems, alarms etc) which are not scheduled under the main budget headings and are normally at lower financial costs. Framework contracts – Kitchens and Bathroom renewals: a. Framework contract for Survey and design: Howdens Joinery Ltd have been appointed as the supplier; the contract is progressing well. b. Framework contract for the Installation of Kitchens & Bathrooms: We have appointed three term contractors on a framework for the Installation of kitchens and bathrooms throughout the Borough for an initial period of 3-year plus 2 years to speed up the process, increase the number of installations and reduce office admin/procurement time. It is planned that we will be installing 1000+ kitchens and 800+ bathrooms during 2025/26 using this new framework. Kitchen & Bathroom replacements – Phased programme: In 2024/25, the Council has tendered in numerous phases (Phases 24 -38) and awarded contracts for the replacement of kitchens and bathrooms with works completed or in progress during the period 2025/26. Framework contact for Major adaptations: This is a framework agreement for aids and adaptations , it is in place and operational, with four contractors (North, Central, South, and a backup) for an initial term of four years, with an option to extend for an additional two years. A tender process has been completed for the supply and installation of stairlifts, hoists, and through-floor lift s for a period of three years, with an option to extend for another two years. This Cabinet report was approved on the 13th of March 2025 Cabinet meeting. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) Statutory servicing and maintenance contracts:  Domestic Gas – In place and operational. Year 3 of a 5-year contract, to be combined with Boiler Renewal contract.  Passenger Lift service and maintenance. Year 3 of a 5-year contract, will retender for November 2026  Asbestos Surveys – Extension Taken, in place and operational Year 5 of a 5- year contract to be retendered in 2026 currently planning underway with the Procurement Team.  Door Entry & Access Control - in place and operational Year 1 of a 5-year contract new contract awarded and started November 2025  Automatic Gates & Barriers - in place and operational Year 1 of a 5-year contract, new contract awarded and started in November 2025.  Fire Detection & Equipment - Extension taken, in place and operational Year 5 of a 5- year contract- Contract expires March 2027 and will be retendered in 2026  Electrical Testing & Remedials Area 1 - Extension taken, in place and operational Year 4 of a 5-year contract - Contract expires in June 2027 and will be tendered in 2026  Electrical Testing & Remedials Area 2 – in place and operational Year 1 of a 2- year contract - Contract expires in June 2027 and will be tendered in 2026  Domestic lifts servicing - Extension taken, in place and operational Year 5 of a 5- year contract - Contract expires in September 2026 and currently working with procurement to retender  CCTV Maintenance - In place and operational Year 3 of an 8-year contract.  AC & Ventilation - In place and operational Year 2 of a 6-year contract.  Communal Laundry - In place and operational Year 1 of a 5-year contract.  Water Quality Monitoring - In place and operational Year 4 of a 5-year contract with 2- year extension taken.  Water Quality Remedials - In place and operational Year 2 of a 5-year contract. The domestic boiler replacement contract is operating to plan and has replaced 815 domestic boilers to the end of January 2026, along with two hybrid pilot systems, against the target of 1000 replacements in 2025/26. Decarbonisation / Energy efficiency: SHDF Wave 1 – Project Completed. We successfully installed energy efficiency measures to 158 number properties Alternative to SHDF Wave 2.2 & Green Home Initiatives: 250 Properties were previously identified for EEMs (Energy Efficiency Measures), and these are to be delivered in single packages of works using the new LBH Framework Contractors Lots 3, 8 & 9. The EEMs to include some or all the following:  Roofing  Cavity wall insulation  External Wall Insulation  Replacement windows & doors  Loft insulation  MVHR (Heat Recover fans)  AICO Gateway environmental sensor links Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public)  Scaffolding and enabling works So far, we have committed the budget of £14.1m, and these works are planned for 326 dwellings to the poorest performing stock across the borough including some “hard -to-let and long -term voids”. External Repairs and Redecorations HRA - £540k Budget (2024/25) In 2024/25 seven tenders have been run, namely:  Phase 1 - New Pond Parade (Section 20 applies to leaseholders) £100k COMPLETE  Phase 5 - The Buntings & Barden Court (Sheltered) £150k - COMPLETE  Phase 6 - Ascott Court & Ascott House (Sheltered) £200k - COMPLETE External Repairs and Redecorations - Capital Works - £2,553k Budget (2025/26) The remaining tendered Phases:  Phase 2 – Yeading Lane (S20 applies to leaseholders) - Greyline £900k - COMPLETE  Phase 3 – Courts Estate (S20 applies to leaseholders) - D R Jones £340k - WIP  Phase 4 – Heather Lane (S20 applies to leaseholders) - Mitie £140k - WIP  Phase 7 – Dovedale Close (S20 applies to leaseholders) - McLoughlin £300k - TBC The four Phases above were tendered , let under the capital works in 2025/26 following the completion of the section 20 leaseholder consultation procedures. Window replacements: The following works have been undertaken / progressing:  Barr Lodge & Bond Close Windows installed Feb’ 2025. COMPLETE  Phases 14 – 20 tendered and let, include 590 properties of which 60+ are leaseholders 90% COMPLETE. Roofing replacement works: In 2024/25, the following works were tendered but not progressed:  Melbourne House Roofing, External & Internal Decs tendered and works put on hold pending replacement windows. S20 withdrawn and to be re -issued during 2026/27. Section 20 processes to be reissued to the numerous leasehold dwellings. In 2025/26, the following programme for 17 Blocks and 21 houses were tendered and are in progress:  Phase 1 – New Peachey Lane (14 Dwellings) COMPLETED.  Phase 2 – New Peachey Lane & Portland Road (29 Dwellings) COMPLETED  Phase 3 – Malmsbury Close & Bennett Close (28 Dwellings) HANDOVER Feb’ 2026 Section 20, leaseholder consultations, and recharges to be issued.  Phase 4 - Mimosa Road & Joel Street (45 Dwellings) WIP Section 20, leaseholder consultations followed and recharges to be issued upon completion.  Phase 5 – Ivy House Road, Church Road & Towers Avenue (16 Dwellings) HANDOVER Feb’ 2026 Section 20, leaseholder consultations, and recharges to be issued.  Phase 6 – Hilton Close & Broadwater Gardens (50 Dwellings) WIP S20, leaseholder consultations followed and recharges to be issued upon completion - circa APRIL 2026 Housing and Building Safety Act: The Building Safety Strategy – Operational Delivery Plan (2022 –2025) is currently active and undergoing routine departmental updates. A full strategic review is scheduled for 2026, which will Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) establish a new Building Safety Strategy for the next 3–5‑ year period. As part of this review, consideration will also be given to adjusting the intervals between full Fire Risk Assessment (FRA) visits, reflecting the significant level of remedial and improvement works that have been completed across the housing portfolio. Building Safety Cases are required for all high ‑ rise buildings over 18 m. LBH has completed all 10 safety cases for its high ‑ rise stock, which are currently being reviewed for any necessary amendments. The Building Safety Regulator will request these for review before auditing each block, a process expected to take place over the next five years. Once notified, we will have 28 days to provide all required data. Note: All 10 LBH high ‑ rise residential buildings were legally registered in June 2023, ahead of the 1 October 2023 deadline. Framework contract - Fire Door replacements programme: A framework contract is now in place and fully operational, supporting the delivery programme for door replacements. The contract commenced in August 2024 and is set for a n initial three‑ year term, with an optional one‑ year extension. Framework agreement Voids Servicing and Repair: The voids refurbishment framework agreement —comprising three primary contractors and one reserve contractor—has been fully operational since July 2024. Between April 2025 and February 2026, the service successfully refurbished 641 void properties, including 83 completions in January 2026 alone. Based on current demand and workflow trends, the service is projected to exceed 750 refurbished voids by year‑ end. During the same period, the Repairs Service received 31,395 repair requests (April 2025–January 2026), representing a reduction of 3,267 jobs compared with the previous year. Despite this reduction, based on current seasonal trends and dema nd patterns, the service is forecast to receive in excess of 37,674 repair reports by year‑ end. This continues to demonstrate the scale of reactive demand while also showing early evidence that upfront investment in asset improvements is beginning to drive workload down. The Repairs Service is delivered by a workforce of 40 operatives across multiple trades, supported by five dedicated specialist contractors who undertake more complex or technically demanding repairs. This blended delivery model ensures efficient handling of day‑ to‑ day repairs while enabling rapid deployment of specialist expertise where required to maintain standards and compliance. To mitigate legal disrepair risks, any component that can no longer be safely maintained—and is not sched uled for imminent replacement under a planned works programme —is proactively upgraded. This ensures all homes meet decency standards both prior to occupation and throughout tenancy, reducing the likelihood of disrepair claims. Where appropriate, safety wor ks or holding repairs are undertaken in advance of planned replacement programmes to maintain compliance and safeguard residents. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) Electrical Safety and Planned works:  AICO Gateway Monitoring: First phase of roll out of AICO Gateway installation star ted with 781No. installed to date, providing remote monitoring of Fire Detection within dwellings and facility to monitor environmental factors to assist with implementation of Awaab's Law.  Sibley Court Heating & Hot Wate Upgrade: Upgraded Electrical Heating & Hot Water system within Sibley Court, which has provided a 33% reduction in energy usage in the first 3 months Nov -25 -Jan 26. Currently review the installation of PV to further reduce energy costs.  Communal Laundry Equipment: Phase 1 of communal laundry equipment expected to be completed in late March 2026 replacing 61No units across 15 Sheltered Housing Sites  Door Entry System upgrades and replacements: Upgraded Door Entry and Access Control systems within 37No. Low & Med ium Rise General Needs Housing Blocks. With Partial Budget rephased to 2026/27.  Lift Refurbishment: 2025/26 Lift refurbishment Budget was rephased to 2026/27  PV Installation Programme: 2025/26 PV Installation budget was rephased to 2026/27, whilst officers investigating Borough wide Housing PV Plan.  AOV & Ventilation: 2025/26 AOV & Ventilation planned works within High Rise Buildings have been deferred to be incorporated in Planned Works for High Rise Building subject to Building Safety Regulator Approval.  Fire Detection: Continuation of installation and replacement of 10 -year mains interlinked fire detection within dwellings, ensuring all housing stock is fitted with minimum of LD2 fire protection and LD1 within High Rise and Sheltered accommodation. Works delivered by Term, Voids contractors and DLO.

Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 – Public) SUBSTANCE MISUSE & STOP SMOKING SERVICES Cabinet Member & Portfolio Cllr Jane Palmer, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care Responsible Officers Sandra Taylor, Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health Sharon Stoltz, Director of Public Health Report Author & Directorate Nick Sinclair, Public Health Principal, Adult Social Care and Health Directorate Papers with report N/A HEADLINES Summary This paper informs Cabinet that additional Government grant award funding will be received for the period 1 April 2026 - 31 March 2027 for such public health services. This paper seeks approval to spend this funding on provision of substance misuse services through a contract variation with the existing service provider. Putting our Residents First Delivering on the Council Strategy 2022-2026 This report supports our ambition for residents / the Council of: Live active and healthy lives This report supports our commitments to residents of: Safe and Strong Communities It also supports:  Joint Local Health & Wellbeing Strategy: 2026 – 2031 (draft)  From Harm to Hope: A 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives1  Stopping the Start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation2 Financial Cost The substance misuse service is funded solely by the Public Health Grant which is a ringfenced Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) grant payment given to all Local Authorities in England annually to support the provision of mandated and statutory public health provision. The grant award is provided by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) on behalf of the DHSC and grant conditions require it only be spent on public health remit. Therefore, there is no cost to the core council budget for the provision of this substance misuse support 1 From harm to hope: A 10-year drugs plan to cut crime and save lives - GOV.UK 2 Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation - GOV.UK Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 – Public) service as it is paid for solely from the ringfenced Public Health grant Select Committee Health and Social Care Select Committee Ward(s) N/A RECOMMENDATIONS That the Cabinet: 1) Note that the three-year 2026-2029 Public Health grant funding from Department of Health & Social Care is a ring -fenced budget that is only available to Local Authorities to spend on statutory and mandated public health services. 2) Note the Public Health Grant award conditions in relation to ringfenced spend for provision of statutory and mandated public health services and the benefits to Hillingdon Council that these services are funded by the Public Health Grant and do not draw on funds from core council budget. 3) For continued delivery of statutory substance misuse services funded by the Public Health grant, approve delegated authority for the Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health and Director of Public Health to develop delivery plans and commissioning arrangements for the ongoing utilisation of Public Health grant funded substance misuse service provision in line with grant condition requirements set out by D epartment of Health & Social Care and Office of Health Improvement and Disparities and to allocate contract variations up to a value of £525,000 over the period 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2029. 4) Agree to vary the current contract with Centr al and North West London NHS Trust for the provision of substance misuse treatment and recovery services for the period 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029 to uplift the core contract for the agenda for a change salary increase by £81,843 pa and for a cost up to £245,529 for the period. 5) Approve continuation of Public Health Grant funding to the Hillingdon Youth Service offer for the continued provision of the SORTED young person’s drug and alcohol provision arrangement to a value of up to £181,500 per year (at FY2025/26 level) to a total value of up to £ 557,864 for the period 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2029 (this include salary uplift costs on SORTED costs). Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 – Public) Reasons for recommendation(s) 1. Through public health contracts, the Council and partners provide a range of services relating to stopping smoking and substance misuse. These include: Drug & Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Services which aim to reduce harm such as ill health, reduced life chances, crime, and social isolation associated with addiction; Smoking Cessation and Tobacco Control Support to help residents quit smoking; Support for Children and Young People and those experiencing substance misuse risks or harms, and also Needs Assessment, Prevention, and System Development Work associated with this. 2. This paper informs Cabinet that additional Government grant award funding will be received for the period 1 April 2026 - 31 March 2027 for such public health services and seeks approval to spend this funding on provision of through a contract variation wit h the existing service provider (CNWL) and other related decisions. Alternative options considered / risk management 3. Due to the grant award conditions of the Public Health Grant ; the requirement from the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) for the submission of a delivery plan for the provision of drug and alcohol and stop smoking support arrangements and the timeline for this – due by 13 March 2026; prior requirement from Cabinet from 11 January 2024 that for future years, any change or variation in contractual expenditure be authorised by the Cabinet and should be funded from existing public health grants, with no recourse to other Council funding sources. Cabinet also instructs officers to ensure thi s is determined and closely monitored through the budget monitoring and MTFF process; and Public Health Department commissioning intentions to focus on maintaining current provision while developing need assessment and assessing service development requirements, no other options are considered suitable. 4. Doing nothing would not support the programme of work underway to enhance capacity and capability within the Public Health Department and is not considered suitable. This would also not enable a contract variation needed to reflect the change in contract value for Agenda for Change salary uplifts and a range of additional investment (to be determined in line with the drug and alcohol needs assessment findings). Democratic compliance / previous authority 5. The original 5 plus 4-year core contract recommendation was presented at January 2024 Cabinet. Cabinet also decided that for future years, any change or variation in contractual expenditure on such matters should be authorised by the Cabinet and should be funded from existing public health grants, with no recourse to other Council funding sources. Cabinet also has previously instructed officers to ensure this is determined and closely monitored through the budget monitoring and MTFF process. Hence this rep ort is submitted to Cabinet for consideration. Select Committee comments None at this stage. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 – Public) SUPPORTING INFORMATION Grant Award Changes 6. For the financial year periods 1 April 2021 – 31 March 2025 the Supplemental Substance Misuse Treatment and Re covery Grant (SSMTRG) was provided to Local Authorities in England for the purpose of strengthening and improving local drug and alcohol treatment and recovery systems. 7. For the period 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026 the various elements of the SSMTRG were consolidated and the award was renamed as the Drug and Alcohol Tr eatment and Recovery Improvement Grant (DATRIG) . For the period 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2029, the grant will become embedded within the core Public Health Grant award provided to Local Authorities in England for the provision of statutory and mandated public health programmes. 8. The way th at th e DATR IG funding will change from 1 April 2026 m eans that grant conditions now align with Public Health Grant conditions and will enable funds to be managed over the full three period that this additional funding will be provided to cover. From the perspective of the Director of Public Health and the Public Health Department this is a positive change which will remove the restrictions of the supplementary grant arrangements under the SSMTRG and DATRIG grant conditions. These condition s required in-year spending only with a requirement to return unspent in-year funds back to OHID. The Public Health Grant conditions enable the grant to be spent over the course of the three-year period and to retain any underspend for the purpose of spending to enhance the provision of statutory substance misuse service provision. 9. Part of the requirements attached to the change in the way the DATRIG funding will be provided from 1 April 2026 are that even though the award will be embedded into the core Public Health - which is itself a ringfenced grant award for spend on the provision of statutory and mandated public health provision under the remit of the Director of Public Health – the DATRIG element of the Public Health grant award conditions ringfence this money for spend solely on drug and alcohol treatment and prevention activity. 10. An additional supplementary grant that has been paid to local authorities by OHID is the Local Stop Smoking Support and Services grant (LSSS&S). From 1 April 2026, this grant will also become embedded (with similar ringfence requirements as described for the DATRIG grant to ensure that it is spent on the provision of tobacco control and stop smoking support programmes). 11. The current service contract for the provision of substance misuse and stop -smoking services is held by Central and North West London NHS Foundation Service (CNWL) and provision of these two services are part of the same service offer which is currently funded by a mix of DATRIG, LSSS&S, and Public Health Grant funding. As of 1 April 2026, the services will continue to be funded but solely from the Public Health Grant. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 – Public) Contract Arrangements & OHID Requirements 12. The current contract with CNWL is for the provision of drug and alcohol and stop smoking support services. This support is incorporated into a substance misuse treatment service contract which is contracted for a five –year period from 1 June 2024 until the 30 May 2029 with a four-year extension option until 30 May 2033. 13. The current DATRIG grant also funds the Youth Hillingdon Offer SORTED service to provide drug and alcohol support to children and young people. 14. OHID require the completion and submission of a three-year delivery plan to outline how the ringfenced elements of the Public Health Grant will be spent to support drug and alcohol and stop smoking service provision. This plan is required for submission to OHID by 13 March 2026 for review and approval of plans for the period 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2029. The Public Health Department are currently working on creating this plan which is required to be completed in consultation with local stakeholders and local Combatting D rug Partnership members. 15. Currently, due to a shared function arrangement with Hounslow Council ending on 8 August 2025, local capacity and local strategic planning ability connected to drug and alcohol and stop smoking delivery requires development. The shared arrangement saw joint commissioning and shared commissioning support arrangements between Hillingdon and Hounslow Council’s with Hounslow leading which meant that governance structures and Combatting Drug Partnership arrangements were shaped around Hounslow Council structures, leaving a gap that is in the process of being filled within Hillingdon Council. Public Health & Commissioning Intentions 16. The current CNWL service contract is performing well. Following investment from the SSMTRG, DATRIG, and LSSS&S grants over the last few years, the service is well-staffed and has achieved outcomes in line with OHID and national strategy objectives for drug and alcohol and smoking cessation , and in line with other London boroughs. Given recent capacity challenges within the Public Health Department and the ending of the shared arrangement with Hounslow as described above, there is ongoing work required to fully assess the performance of the current contract with CNWL and to review service structure, outcomes and objectives. 17. The new Director of Public Health is implementing a review and re-structure process to ensure capacity within the department is suitable to support its ability to comprehensively meet all public health duties. Alongside this and aided by the development of the OHID drug and alcohol and stop smoking support delivery plan as described above, the approach that is assessed to best support ongoing provision of drug and alcohol and stop smoking support is to: a. Maintain the current delivery arrangements and level of funding for the CNWL drug and alcohol and stop smoking service for the 2026 -2027 period while assessing need and developing local capacity and service design within this period where possible, and planning for developments to be incorporated into the delivery plan and commissioning arrangements for the 2027-2029 period. There are currently no Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 – Public) significant concerns about the performance of the service, although review and development of the current contract performance monitoring arrangements is required to provide further assurance. Any findings from ongoing performance monitoring, combined with a programme of work to refresh b. Invest resources and capacity to refresh and develop more in-depth understanding of the need s of local residents connected to drug, alcohol, and tobacco. Current assessment of need requires enhancement to better assess the needs of the local population in relation to drug use, particularly non -opiate drugs such as cocaine, cannabis, synthetic drugs and novel psychoactive substances; in relation to alcohol, smoking, and vaping. c. Develop local commissioning , partnership, and system -wide approaches to enhance local treatment and prevention support offers. Within the delivery plan due for submission to OHID, there is a need to identify any programmes of work that will support local service delivery. Whilst need assessment work is required, there are some initial areas of provision where additional investmen t funded from Public Health reserves is being considered for spend within the 2026-2027 financial year. These include the potential development of service priorities and/or creation of new roles which might include, for example ; hospital based drug and al cohol support workers to engage people with drug and alcohol attending hospital emergency, in- patient, and out -patient support into treatment support; conducting behavioural insight work to better understand the drug and alcohol treatment support needs for those cohorts of residents who are currently under -represented in treatment and who might not see a drug and alcohol service as suitable for them or their pattern of drug and alcohol use; development of stop -smoking service support offer to include quit vaping specific support; development of a local combatting drug partnership and drug related death review process; improvements to local pathways for referral and joint working between the drug and alcohol service and criminal justice; prevention focussed work; service promotion activity to help increase awareness of services, ways to access, and support offers available. 18. To support the development of changes described above, there is a need to conduct further needs assessment work, obtain approval from OHID of the proposed delivery plan, and pending contract variation where any additional funding is invested in the service or there are changes required from the provider in the structure of the service support o ffer. The commissioning intentions are to maintain the current level of funding in line with current contractual arrangements which will be funded from the Public Health Grant and where additional investment is assessed as necessary, this will be funded f rom reserves of the Public Health Grant. 19. To facilitate the additional costs of the approach described above to develop the service and local treatment system, an additional amount of up to £525,000 has been identified as potential spend from Public Health Grant reserves for the period 2026-2029. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 – Public) Contract Variation 20. Local Authorities receive funds each year to support NHS Agenda for Change salary uplifts for staff who work under the NHS Agenda for Change contracts but are funded by local authority commissioning arrangements. The CNWL service currently employs staff under these terms and any annual pay increases under these terms are set by the government which Local Authorities are obligated to adhere to. For the current drug and alcohol and stop-smoking service, the Agenda for Change obligations will be £82,110. A contract variation to cover this additional funding will be required. 21. Following completion of the assessment work as described above, and submission of the delivery plan and its approval from OHID, other contract variations might be required where additional investment from the Public Health grant a nd/or Public Health Grant reserves is proposed. As described throughout this paper, the funding of the drug and alcohol and stop smoking support provision is from Public Health Grant awards and does not require any investment from the Council’s core budget and as the Public Health Grant is a ringfenced award for the purpose of providing s tatutory and mandated public health services, it cannot be used for any other purposes. 22. This paper is presented to Cabinet due to a requirement stated within a previous cabinet paper from Director of Public Health dated 11 January 2024 that; Cabinet agrees that for future years, any change or variation in contractual expenditure be authorised by the Cabinet and should be funded from existing public health grants, with no recourse to other Council funding sources. Cabinet also instructs o fficers to ensure this is determined and closely monitored through the budget monitoring and MTFF process. 23. This paper is submitted to Cabinet to seek approval of the recommendations to support the Corporate Director of Adult Social Care and Health, and t he Director of Public Health to implement commissioning arrangements to support the ongoing provision of statutory drug and alcohol and stop smoking support services and service development requirements in line with needs assessments, Public Health Grant conditions, and service development needs. Financial Implications 24. The current core contract value with CNWL is £ £3,108,201.89 per year and the current contract term is for a five–year period from 1 June 2024 until the 30 May 2029 with a four- year extension option until 30 May 2033 which is a total contract value of £27,973,817.01 25. The current (FY2025/26) funding to the Youth Hillingdon SORTED service for provision of drug and alcohol support to children and young people is £181,500 per year (£109,500 via DATRIG funding, £72,000 via Public Health Grant). 26. Both services are currently funded by the DATRIG grant and Public Health grant. Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 – Public) 27. For the period 1 April 2026 – 31 March 2029, t he Public Health grant allocation for the provision of drug and alcohol and stop -smoking support services has been released by OHID3 and is summarised in the table below: Public Health Grant TOTAL Drug and Alcohol allocation Smoking Cessation allocation 2026-2027 £23.4M £5,074,992 £558,602 2027-2028 £23.8M £5,116,657 £559,047 2028-2029 £24.3M £5,184,364 £561,828 TOTAL £71.5M £15,376,013 £1,679,477 28. Any spend on the provision of drug and alcohol and stop-smoking service delivery contracts will be funded from Public Health allocations. RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION The benefit or impact upon Hillingdon residents, service users and communities? 29. Current needs assessment information for drug and alcohol and smoking rates shows that drug and alcohol addiction negatively affects lives of individuals and communities in a number of ways; personal addiction reduces life chances, lowers life expectancy, and is linked to crime, housing problems, mental health support needs, social relationship and family breakdown, anti-social behaviour and criminal activity, loss of employment / lack of employability, lost production and lost working days, acute and chronic health conditions, and death. 30. Tobacco addiction and smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United Kingdom. Access to su pport services to help people with drug, alcohol, and tobacco addiction can help people to overcome addictions and can reduce the negative effects of addictive behaviour on their lives and improve life chances. 31. A programme of work to update and refresh need assessment data, to complete an equality impact assessment, and to conduct behavioural insight work which will better inform service development activity, will be undertaken over the coming months. 32. The benefits to residents of effective addiction support services such as drug and alcohol and tobacco addiction services are seen in reduction of the number of instances of negative impacts of addiction as personal, social, and community. Consultation & Engagement carried out (or required) 33. No formal consultation has been conducted as the current contract arrangement is proposed to be maintained with the option to invest further with objectives to better support 3 Allocations tables for all consolidated grants from 2026-2027 to 2028-2029 - GOV.UK Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 – Public) local need, increase access to support and to increase outcomes in line with local and national objectives. 34. The delivery plan for submission to OHID by 13 March 2026 is being developed with input from treatment provider services and local stakeholders. A programme of work to enhance local unders tanding of need will be part of the delivery plan and public health work programme with the intention that additional investment options will be made with full consideration of need and outcome objectives, and in consultation with local stakeholder partners and local residents. CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS Corporate Finance Corporate Finance have reviewed this report and concur with the Financial Implications set out above, noting the recommendations to seek approval to utilise the ring-fenced Public Health Grant to fund the continued delivery and development of statutory substance misuse and stop-smoking services, including contract variations to support delivery planning and commissioning arrangements, the uplift to the CNWL contract for Agenda for Change Salary Increases and the ongoing funding for the Hillingdon Youth Services for the provision of SORTED for the period 1 April 2026 to 31 March 2029. Furthermore, it is noted that the proposed variation of up to £525k for the de velopment of the delivery plans and commissioning arrangements will be funded from the Public Health Earmarked Reserve, which held a balance of £ 1,173k at Month 9. The contract variation with CNWL for the Agenda for Change Salary increases totalling £82k per annum, up to £246k over t he three-year period, together with the continued funding to Hillingdon Youth Services for the provision of SORTED at £182k per annum, totalling £558k over the period, will be fully met from the Public Health Grant, therefore these commitments do not create any direct financial implications to the General Fund budgets either in-year or across the wider MTFS. Additionally, it is noted the Public Health Grant is ring -fenced for mandated Public Health functions, allocations confirmed for 2026/27 to 2028/29 to tal £71 .5m, including ring -fenced allocations of £15.4m for the substance misuse and £1.68m for smoking cessation. These allocation reflect the consolidation of the former Supplemental Misuse Treatment and Recovery Grant, the Drug and Alcohol Treatment and Recovery Grant, and the Local Stop Smoking Service Grant, all of which will be embedded within the Public Health Grant from 1 April 2026, which will remove the previous in-year spending restrictions and allow deployment of funding flexibly over the three-year period. Legal Legal Services confirms that the Council’s Procurement & Contract Standing Orders allow Corporate Directors and Directors to exercise procurement and contract‑ management functions where authority has been expressly delegated through a Cabinet or Cabinet Member decision, provided that all actions comply with Sta nding Orders, financial regulations, and the Council’s approved Scheme of Delegations. The continuation and variation the substance misuse services Cabinet – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 – Public) are consistent with grant conditions, which require the Director of Public Health to ensure the grant is used for eligible substance misuse services. The original procurement exercise was conducted in compliance with the Council’s Procurement and Contract Standing Orders and the Public Contracts Regulations 2015. The proposed variations (as set out in the r eport) do not exceed 50% of the original contract value; and do not alter the overall nature of the contracts. The Councils legal team will provide advice and assistance in respect of legal matters relating to subsequent grant agreements that will be required. Legal services therefore confirms that there are no legal implications in approving the recommendations set out in this report to ensure the Council continues to meet statutory responsibilities. Procurement Comments The recommendations within this report are compliant with the Public Contract Regulations 2015 which were in force at the time of the original contract award to Central and North West London NHS Trust. The Lot 1 Contract awarded to Central and North West London NHS Trust permits variations which do not exceed 50% of the original contract value and that the variations of £525,000 and potential annual fee increases, do not alter the contract’s scope. The original award was a forecasted value of £ 3,108,201.89 per annum and there is ample flexibility to vary the contract to include the required recommendations. BACKGROUND PAPERS Cabinet decision – 11 January 2024 – Public Health Procurement

Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) COUNCIL BUDGET – 2025/26 BUDGET MONITORING – MONTH 10 Cabinet Member & Portfolio Cllr Eddie Lavery Cabinet Member for Finance & Transformation Responsible Officer Steve Muldoon Corporate Director of Finance Report Author & Directorate Jon Alsop Interim Head of Finance Business Partnering Papers with report None HEADLINES Summary This report provides a summary of the Council’s General Fund and Housing Revenue Account forecasts for revenue budgets as at the end of January 2026 (Period 10) for the financial year 2025/26. General Fund - Revenue The Council has an approved gross expenditure budget of £974m, comprised of £552m within the General Fund and £422m within the Dedicated Schools Grant. As at the end of January 2026 (Period 10), the General Fund forecast shows an overspend of £36.3m, an adverse movement of £0.3m from Month 9. The forecast overspend for the year is mainly driven by service operati ons and reflects the ongoing pressures and risks local authorities face in homelessness, children’s and adults social care provision, as well as challenges in the delivery of savings in year. On 23 February 2026 the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announced that they have agreed in -principle to provide the council with Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) of £88.0m in 2025/26 to help manage its financial pressures. This funding will cover the expected overspend in year and support the Council to replenish its depleted reserves back to a sustainable level. Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) The in-year deficit relating to DSG forecasts a favourable movement against budget of £3.3m, resulting in a lower £9.2m increase in the foreca st deficit reserve position for the year. Recent Government announcements on the Local Government Funding Settlement indicate that the Government will cover 90% of the DSG deficit , subject to conditions . Grants to cover this are expected to be paid sometime in the autumn of 2026. Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) Housing Revenue Account (HRA) The 2025/26 HRA revenue budget consists of £85.7m expenditure matched by an equivalent level of income (rents, service charges and other contributions). The Month 10 forecast shows expected expenditure of £85.3m. In year variances include a £1.6m pressure against service expenditure and £0.4m against rental income, offset by a reduction of £2.0m in the revenue contribution to the capital programme. Putting our Residents First Delivering on the Council Strategy 2022-2026 This report supports our ambition for residents / the Council of: An efficient, well-run, digital-enabled council working with partners to deliver services to improve the lives of all our residents This report supports our commitments to residents of: A Digital-Enabled, Modern, Well-Run Council. Financial Cost N/A Select Committee All Ward(s) N/A RECOMMENDATIONS That the Cabinet: 1) Notes the revenue budget monitoring positions as at January 2026 (Month 10) as set out in the report, noting the actions proposed by officers. 2) Agrees the virement of £3,696k from the current allocated budget for the Madison Brook Residential Property Acquisitions budget to the In -House team’s capital budget. 3) Agrees that the planned fee increases for the Imported Food Office as set out in the 2026/27 budget be put on hold until further notice, pending a review. Reasons for recommendation(s) Recommendation 1 is to measure performance against the Council’s budgetary objectives, providing Cabinet with an update on performance to date against the 2025/26 revenue budgets as approved by Council on 27 February 2025. Recommendation 2 is to seek Cabinet approval for the virement that will enable the release of capital funds to purchase and repair residential property acquisitions as a part of the GLA CHAP indicative scheme. This scheme has a funding deadline of 31/3/2026. Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) Recommendation 3 – following approval of the 2026/27 budget, officers intend to review the full cost of the Imported Food Service at Heathrow Airport, including recharges, to ensure the service remains cost neutral. Therefore, it is recommended that such planned fee increases are put on hold at this time, until further notice. Alternative options considered / risk management 1) There are no other options proposed for consideration. 2) The risks associated with the overspend forecast for the year are as set out in the m ain body of the report. The overspend risk is substantially mitigated by the announcement by Government on 23 February 2026 to agree in-principle to provide the council with EFS support of £88.0m in 2025/26 to manage its financial pressures. Select Committee comments Select Committee regularly monitor the Council’s in -year budget position following Cabinet consideration. SUPPORTING INFORMATION GENERAL FUND REVENUE 1. As at Month 10, the Council is forecasting a net overspend of £36.3m on its core operating activities. This includes overspends of £26.0m across Service Operating Budgets, a £4.2m pressure against the budgeted use of reserves and a £6.5m pressure across centralised and Corporate Budgets including Corporate Funding. These pressures are partially mitigated by £ 0.5m of interventions, which are expected to benefit the revenue position through measures such as spend control measures and increased grants. Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) Table 1: Period 10 (January) Revenue Forecast Forecast Budget Forecast Variance Directorate £000 £000 £000 Children & Young Peoples Services 57,231 63,339 6,108 Adult Services & Health 100,893 107,394 6,501 Residents Services 52,147 60,466 8,319 Chief Operating Officer 18,580 18,293 (287) Finance 34,100 39,328 5,228 Chief Executive's Office 9,112 9,266 154 272,064 298,087 26,023 Corporate Budgets (272,064) (261,337) 10,727 0 36,750 36,750 Expected Interventions 0 (500) (500) Total Forecast Variance 0 36,250 36,250 2. This position has remained stable overall since month 6 (September), but with a number of underlying favourable and unfavourable movements. Much of the overspend relates to adverse variances on savings delivery, unbudgeted growth and inflation, assumed use of reserves and reduced application of flexible capital receipts against transformation expenditure, offset by the release of contingency. Table 2: General Fund Overview Approved Budget Forecast Outturn Underlying Variance Forecast Variance Prior Month Change in Variance £'m £'m £'m £'m £'m Service Operating Budgets 272.1 298.1 26.0 26.1 (0.1) Development & Risk Contingency 1.8 0.0 (1.8) (1.8) 0.0 Unallocated Budget Items: Unallocated Savings (7.1) 0.0 7.1 7.1 0.0 Budgeted Use of Reserves (4.2) 0.0 4.2 4.2 0.0 Total Net Expenditure 262.6 298.1 35.5 35.6 (0.1) Corporate Funding (262.6) (261.3) 1.3 1.3 0.0 Net Total 0.0 36.8 36.8 36.9 (0.1) Interventions 0.0 (0.5) (0.5) (1.0) 0.5 Total 0.0 36.3 36.3 35.9 0.4 Opening General Reserve 1.5 1.5 0.0 Less: Underlying Variance (36.3) (35.9) 0.4 Closing General Reserve (34.8) (34.4) 0.4 Opening Earmarked Reserves 3.2 3.7 (0.5) Less: Use of Earmarked Reserves (2.0) (2.0) 0.0 Closing Earmarked Reserves 1.2 1.7 (0.5) Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) 3. As part of the Month 10 review, the Council has continued its analysis of exposure to risks and opportunities. The updated risks total is £5. 8m against identified opportunities of £2.6m. Risks not able to be quantified include the cost of redundancies that may arise from any savings implementation (redundancies would precede any savings generated). 4. Opportunities reflect £2.6m within Residents Services which includes additional Waste funding not budgeted for. 5. The risk of further overspend against homelessness costs remains high given the rising levels of homeless presentations and the challenges in securing suitable alternative accommodation to prevent homelessness, particularly in the private rented sector. Th is position continues to be reviewed. 6. The Council is seeing exceptional homelessness demand-related costs as a result of being a port authority. This includes the arrival of UK nationals, which remains an unknown pressure at this time as costs incurred by the Council are not fully funded by the Government. The Council’s forecast is based on the current run rate. A review commissioned by London Councils identified a “Funding Gap” of £740m for London Councils between homelessness costs incurred and funding p rovided by Central Government in 2024/25. 7. The Council’s opening reserves position, comprising both General and Earmarked Reserves, stands at £1.5m of General Reserves and £3. 2m of (controllable) Earmarked Reserves. In arriving at the net £36.3m overspend projected above, the forecast assumes a £2.0m drawdown from Earmarked Reserves to support service -level requirements, bringing the forecast usable General Reserve position to £34.8m overdrawn whilst Earmarked Reserves are forecast to close at £1.2m. 8. Following the decision by MHCLG to agree (in-principle) Exceptional Financial Support for the Council of £88.0m for 202 5/26, plus a further £62.0m of support (in-principle) for 2026/27, the S151 Officer no longer considers it likely that a S114 notice will be required. 9. The agreement of EFS will require the Council to undergo an external assurance review, which is to be undertaken by CIPFA in the coming weeks. This may then lead to a number of recommendations which the Council will need to take steps to implement. The Council will need to demonstrate progress on these before MHCLG finally issues the required capitalisation direction. These will be actively pursued to ensure that the Council is heeding the advice and expectations needed to conclude the capitalisation direction. 10. The Council continues to review options to address the current financial pressure and the forecast negative reserves position. Central to this is the delivery of the 2025/26 savings programme, totalling £34.0m. In addition, £4.8m of unresolved savings from previous years have been carried forward, increasing the total savings requirement for 2025/26 to £38.8m. To date, slippage of £19.1m (M9 was £18.8m) has been identified and built into the forecast position, of which £7.1m in cross-cutting savings have been written off as part Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) of the 2026/27 budget approved at Full Council on 26 February 2026. The £7.1m write out relates to £5.0m of savings from the proposed Target Operating Model, £0.7m from Legal Services, £0.6m from procurement, £0.2m from zero -based budgeting and £0.6m from sundry other initiatives. In addition, the remaining £7.8m of service-related savings have also been written out of the 2026/27 budget as approved by Council on 26 February 2026. 11. Under Government guidance, councils may fund transformation activity using capital receipts from asset disposals. Given the scale of the savings programme, the Council will use capital receipts to support transformation where appropriate. The Council is reviewing the pipeline of assets which can be targeted with a view to delivering capital receipts. Any receipts will be verified to assure that they qualify under relevant regulations. The Council has a level of capital receipts brought forward from previous years which, along with known 2025/26 disposals (including the recent disposal of the former Uxbridge Library building) , will be sufficient to fund the 2025/26 and 2026/27 programme in full. 12. The Council remains firmly committed to achieving a sustainable financial position. It s services continue to be run efficiently, with spend per capita on frontline services below that of comparable authorities, specifically Outer London boroughs. Despite the financial pressures, the Council has consistently delivered high-quality, well-regarded services in a cost-effective manner, while maintaining one of the lowest Council Tax levels in its comparator group. 13. The Council’s forecast of overdrawn reserves by year -end reflects a range of national challenges, compounded by insufficient funding from central government to meet rising demand. Whilst the receipt of EFS will help the council replenish its reserves , a key pressure continues to be the delivery of temporary accommodation and homelessness support. This is particularly acute in Hillingdon, due to the presence of Heathrow Airport - a major port of entry into the UK - which places additional strain on local housing supply and demand, driving up costs. This housing pressure also affects Children’s Social Care, where vulnerable young people in supported accommodation are unable to transition into independent tenancies due to a shortage of general needs housing. At the same time, demand for Adult Social Care remains consistently high following the pandemic, with funding from the Department of Health and Social Care failing to keep pace with increasing client demand volume and complexity and market pressures. 14. The Council is taking steps to address the rising cost of temporary accommodation by seeking to make acquisitions which can then be used to address the issue and mitigate the impact of high rental costs in the private sector. For this reason, Cabinet recently approved the forward phasing of future years’ HRA capital contingency budget alongside a virement of £20m from the General Fund capital programme to the HRA to support developments and acquisitions. These acquisitions are now progressing at pace. 15. Hillingdon will benefit from a net growth in funding from 2026/27 and beyond as announced in the recent Local Government Funding Settlement. Whilst the borough was aware of the current year’s level of Government funding at the time of setting the 2025/26 budget, the Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) review indicates that Hillingdon has been significantly underfunded by Government over an extended period of time and had this review taken place in line with the original timescale, Hillingdon’s financial position is likely to have been far more favourable. 16. The pressures reflected in this report therefore present a challenge for the Council, with Table 2 above setting out this position against service operating budgets, corporate budgets and the use of reserves. 17. The Council’s forecast position continues to be highly challenging and is highly dependent on the assumptions built into the forecast being deliverable. It is of critical importance that all areas of the Council aim to deliver on, and give support to, all of the savings commitments made to ensure they are delivered on time and to the value and scale planned in the budget. Equally, it is important that any savings falling short are still pursued so that they can be delivered in full and on time in order to deliver the maximum benefit to 2026/27 and the MTFS, and mitigations to the overspend continue to be sought. 18. The risks and upsides not included within the forecast will also need to be carefully monitored and addressed in order to mitigate and prevent or limit the impact they may present. Any further impacts may have consequences for the EFS requirement and add pressure to the Council’s finances in repaying this over time. The Council will have to continue to focus on identifying options to address these risks as the increase in funding to be received through the Local Government Finance Settlement over the next 3 years will be phased in over three years, and based on the MTFS projections the Council still has a significant budget gap to close by 2028/29. 19. As at Month 10, the Council’s Gen eral Fund is reporting an overspend of £36. 3m after allowing for the anticipated delivery of £0.5m through interventions including tighter spend controls, and the remaining £1.8m contingency. This position includes a £14.9m write out against the total £38.8m savings target, and a reduction in the level of capital receipts being used to fund transformation activity. 20. The movement in the interventions line from the M9 position reflects a rebate of c£0.5m from the West London Waste Autho rity (WLWA) , and leaves just £0.5m of further interventions to identify by year end in order to deliver the forecast as set out. This indicates that some £1.5m in mitigations have been identified since month 6. 21. The forecast position also includes the deployment of £2.0m from Earmarked Reserves, primarily to support insurance claims and homelessness related pressures. The main use of Earmarked Reserves relates to a £1.2m draw down from the Public Health ringfenced reserve, accumulated from prior year underspends against the Public Health Grant. 22. The Council anticipates using EFS to replenish general fund reserves by £40.0m in the final year end closure. It will also be necessary to undertake a review of earmarked reserves considering the depletion both i n this and last financial year when finalising the 2024/25 accounts. Some of the balances are particularly low and will need to be addressed Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) to put the Council back on a stable footing. This work will be undertaken fully as part of the end of year processes when there is greater clarity on what will be required heading into the 2026/27 financial year. Subject to the final outturn position, this may add to the balance that will need to be funded through EFS. The £88m in-principle figure is sufficient to cover the £36m deficit forecast, £40m in general fund reserves replenishment, and further £12m of contingency to cover any subsequent outturn slippage, rebuild of earmarked reserves and adverse audit or closedown adjustments that may be as yet unidentified. 23. To support the delivery of the savings programme, the Council is using £5.7m of capital receipts to fund transformation costs, in line with Government guidance. Asset disposals in 2025/26 plus previously unspent capital receipts are available to support th is transformation activity in the current financial year. Progress on Savings 24. The savings requirement for 2025/26 is £34.0m as set out in the Council’s budget strategy. This was increased by a further £4.8m of savings carried forward from 2024/25 as set out in the outturn report presented to July Cabinet, resulting in an overall programme target of £38.8m savings for the year: Table 3: Savings Tracker Corporate Director Blue Green Amber I Amber II Red Write Total Banked Delivery in progress Early stages of delivery Potential problems in delivery Serious problems in delivery Out £'m £'m £'m £'m £'m £'000 £'m Finance (0.8) 0.0 0.0 0.0 (0.2) (0.1) (1.1) Adult Services & Health (3.5) (0.2) (0.1) (0.1) (2.7) (1.7) (8.3) Children & Young People's Services (4.5) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 (4.5) Place (3.5) (0.6) 0.0 (0.6) (0.8) (1.1) (6.6) Homes & Communities (1.7) (0.3) (0.1) (0.2) (0.1) (4.8) (7.2) Corporate Services (2.8) (0.3) 0.0 0.0 (0.4) (0.1) (3.6) Chief Executive Office (0.1) (0.3) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 (0.4) Cross-Cutting 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 (7.1) (7.1) Total 2025/26 Savings Programme (16.9) (1.7) (0.2) (0.9) (4.2) (14.9) (38.8) 44% 4% 1% 2% 11% 38% 100% M9 (16.1) (2.6) (0.2) (1.1) (3.9) (14.9) (38.8) 41% 7% 1% 3% 10% 38% 100% Change (0.8) 0.9 0.0 0.2 (0.3) 0.0 3% -3% 0% -1% 1% 0% 25. As of Month 10, £18.6m (48%) of the savings and interventions are being recorded as banked or on track for delivery. A further £1.1m (3%), shown as amber, are in delivery but may not deliver in full this financial year. Of this, £0. 9m is currently anticipated to slip but deliver in 2026/27. There are £4.2m (11%) of savings reported as red and now likely to slip into 2026/27 but still ultimately ex pected to be delivered. A further £14.9m of Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) savings are now considered to be undeliverable and have been written out of the Council’s budget from 2026/27 – this comprises £7.1m of cross-cutting savings and £7.8m of service held savings. 26. Where savings are at risk of not being delivered in full during 2025/26, the associated pressures have been factored into the monitoring position with compensating actions being implemented where possible to offset the impact. Service Operating Budgets 27. Service Operating Budgets represent the majority of the Council’s investment in day -to- day services for residents. With the Council continuing to operate in an environment driven by national pressures and exceptionally high demand, these budgets have been supplemented with £5.5m of funding to meet forecast inflationary pressures and £17.8m for demographic growth and other drivers impacting on demand for services. 28. Table 4 below represents the position reported against normal activities for the Service Operating Budgets. Significant v ariances within directorates are summarised in the paragraphs below. Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) Table 4: Service Operating Budgets Approved Budget Underlying Forecast Earmarked Reserves Provisions Transform'n Capitalis'n Forecast Outturn Final Forecast Variance Forecast Variance Prior Month Change in Variance Finance Expenditure 113.8 118.1 0.4 0.0 (0.4) 118.1 4.3 4.8 (0.5) Income (79.7) (78.8) 0.0 0.0 0.0 (78.8) 0.9 0.5 0.4 Subtotal 34.1 39.3 0.4 0.0 (0.4) 39.3 5.2 5.3 (0.1) Adult Services and Health Expenditure 185.2 194.3 0.0 0.0 (0.1) 194.2 9.0 8.3 0.7 Income (84.3) (86.3) (0.5) 0.0 0.0 (86.8) (2.5) (2.7) 0.2 Subtotal 100.9 108.0 (0.5) 0.0 (0.1) 107.4 6.5 5.6 0.9 Children and Young Peoples Services Expenditure 79.0 86.4 (0.4) 0.0 (0.7) 85.3 6.3 6.5 (0.2) Income (21.8) (21.3) (0.7) 0.0 0.0 (22.0) (0.2) 0.1 (0.3) Subtotal 57.2 65.1 (1.1) 0.0 (0.7) 63.3 6.1 6.6 (0.5) Residents Services - Place Expenditure 79.2 78.0 (0.3) 0.0 (0.3) 77.4 (1.8) (0.7) (1.1) Income (34.8) (33.3) 0.1 0.0 0.0 (33.2) 1.6 1.5 0.1 Subtotal 44.4 44.7 (0.2) 0.0 (0.3) 44.2 (0.2) 0.8 (1.0) Residents Services - Homes and Communities Expenditure 47.3 75.2 (0.2) 0.0 (0.6) 74.4 27.1 26.7 0.4 Income (39.6) (58.1) 0.0 0.0 0.0 (58.1) (18.5) (18.9) 0.4 Subtotal 7.7 17.1 (0.2) 0.0 (0.6) 16.3 8.6 7.8 0.8 Central Services Expenditure 19.2 22.6 0.0 0.0 (3.1) 19.5 0.3 0.7 (0.4) Income (0.6) (1.2) 0.0 0.0 0.0 (1.2) (0.6) (0.7) 0.1 Subtotal 18.6 21.4 0.0 0.0 (3.1) 18.3 (0.3) 0.0 (0.3) Chief Executives Office Expenditure 10.8 11.6 0.0 0.0 (0.4) 11.2 0.4 0.2 0.2 Income (1.7) (2.0) 0.0 0.0 0.0 (2.0) (0.3) (0.2) (0.1) Subtotal 9.1 9.6 0.0 0.0 (0.4) 9.2 0.1 0.0 0.1 Total Service Operating Budgets Expenditure 534.5 586.2 (0.5) 0.0 (5.6) 580.1 45.6 46.5 (0.9) Income (262.5) (281.0) (1.1) 0.0 0.0 (282.1) (19.6) (20.4) 0.8 Subtotal 272.0 305.2 (1.6) 0.0 (5.6) 298.0 26.0 26.1 (0.1) Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) 29. As shown in table 4 above, Service Operating Budgets are forecasting a £26. 0m overspend for the year. Significant contributors to this overspend are as follows:  Finance – As at Month 10 (M10) the service is reporting a pressure of £5.2m, which reflects a favourable £0.1m movement from month 9 (M9). The variance includes a £1.7m pressure against the Council’s Treasury budget due to increased levels of interest payable This pressure is partly offset by a reduction in the Minimum Revenue Provision (MRP) and higher than expected interest earned on balances. This position is compounded by staffing pressures of £2.5m due to the use of agency staff and the associated cost uplift incurred. The directorate position also includes a £1.8m adverse variance due to a reduction in the assum ed level of capital receipts used to pay for transformation costs. The £0.1m favourable movement from the M9 forecast is made up of a receipt of £522k from the West London Waste Authority (WLWA) and an additional £362k of grant funding relating to asylum administrative functions , offset by a reduction of c£800k in forecast recharges. The WLWA receipt was shown previously (in M9) as an expected intervention, hence the interventions forecast has been reduced by £500k this month.  Adult Social Care & Health – is forecasting an overspend of £ 6.5m for the year, with overall pressures of £8.0m offset by a £1.5m underspend against SEND transport and mitigations of £2.0m achieved through effective vacancy management. The overspend is driven by ongoing growth in demand for all service areas. Client numbers continue to rise above the budgeted assumption, particularly in Learning Disabilities and Mental Health services. The underspend in SEND transport is due to more economical procurement of personal assistants and maximising efficiencies through the mix of delivery options. The £0.9m adverse movement in month is due to £0.5m of placement growth as a result of client capital depletions and backdated support plans, £0.3m being the impact of DfE guidance that disallows the use of DSG for Personal Transport costs, and £0.1m contingent labour and one to one support in Direct Care Services.  Children & Young People’s Services – As at Month 10, services within this directorate are reporting a pressure of £6. 1m, down £0.5m from £6. 6m in Month 9 due to an increase in contributions from the Integrated Care Board ( ICB) towards cared for children placements. The overall forecast pressure in this area is driven by additional demand for Children’s Social Care, including for Mother and Baby placements and an underlying pressure on Asylum costs due to a previously highlighted budget shortfall of £2.5m. Further pressure results from a £2m reduction in the use of flexible capital receipts previously assumed to fund transformation costs.  Resident Services: Place – Are reporting an underspend of £0. 2m at Month 10, representing a c£ 1.0m favourable movement from Month 9 following effective management actions, use of earmarked reserves and transformation capitalisation. Pressures are faced within Property and Esta tes, Waste Services and on Cemetery income, but these have been mitigated by underspends in Staffing, Waste Disposal costs and on National Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR) on the corporate estate.  Resident Services: Homes & Communities – The forecast outturn position for the year shows a significant overspend against the expenditure budget of £27.1m offset by a Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) favourable variance of £18.5m against the income budget. The expenditure variance is largely caused by a staffing forecast overspend of £719k and non-staffing pressures of £23.2m relating to Temporary Accommodation and placements into the private sector. This is partially offset by additional rental income and grants of £17.5m contributing to the forecast income variance. The n et overspend of £ 8.6m, represent s an adverse movement of £0.8m compared with month 9. The main drivers for the overspend are an increased demand for Temporary Accommodation, reduced on -street parking income and increased support for clients. These impacts are partially offset by additional income from Food Safety and specific additional grant allocations including Homeless Prevention and Rough Sleeper grants. The Month 10 movement has seen additional staffing pressures within Housing of £270k and Community Safety and Enforcement of c£190k, an adverse movement of £50k in car parking income and a £500k adjustment to reflect S106 recharges no longer being deliverable . These adverse variances are partially offset by c£214k additional charge of agency staff to transformation funding and by the removal of contingency of £75k in the Community Services budget.  Central Services – Is forecasting an underspend for the year of £0.3m following the transfer of the Human Resources (HR) Service line to the Chief Executive’s Office. The underspend is due to lower variable costs against technology contracts (c£180k) and an increase in income from recharges net of additional related staffing costs (c£385k), offset by a £277k shortfall in planned savings relating to the Residents Hub.  Chief Executive’s Office – Is reporting a n overspend on Human Resources costs of £262k but offset in part by favourable variances across Legal (exceeding income targets - £28k), Democratic Services (£32k) and Communications (£48k). Collection Fund 30. The Collection Fund at M10 is reporting a surplus of £4.8m against 2025/26 activity (M9 was £4.6m), before the prior year deficit variance of £10.1m takes the Collection Fund to an overall deficit of £5.2m - an improvement of £227k from M9's position. The in -year surplus is made up of surpluses of £1.9m and £2.9m in Council Tax and Business Rates respectively. The overall improvement in the Collection Fund position is driven by Council Tax and the continuation of the debt write -off exercise enabling a further forecast release of the Bad Debt Provision of £879k. However, Business Rates income collection continues to show a pressure of around £3m, mitigated by a reduction in the Council’s levy against retained business rates above the Government determined baseline level of £4 m and additional Section 31 Grant income of £1.9m , which, excluding the prior year deficit, then takes Business Rates to an in-year surplus. Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) GENERAL FUND CAPITAL EXPENDITURE 31. The Council updates its capital forecasts on a quarterly basis . At Month 9, the position presented to Cabinet showed a £61.8m forecast underspend against the General Fund Capital Programme budget for the year of £138.4m. £11.8m of this variance represented cost savings including £8.3m transformation and DSG capitalisation support, whilst £50.0m is due to the rephasing of projects into future years. Budgeted expenditure on projects that are expected to slip into future years include Hillingdon Water Sports Facility (£7.0m), School Building Condition Works ( £6.8m), the Corporate Techno logy and Innovation Programme ( £4.5m), SRP/SEND capital expenditure (£12.5m), Secondary School Expansions (£5.7m) and Investment in Home Care capacity (£3.0m) . Slippage from 2025/26 is to be reviewed and approved in quarter 1 2026/27. SCHOOLS BUDGET 32. The Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) total Block for Maintained Schools is forecast to have an in-year deficit of £9.2m, representing a £0.4m favourable movement compared to month 9 and a £3.3m favourable variance against the £12.5m budgeted use of reserves . The DSG deficit is forecast to rise to £75.1m by the end of the financial year, but which will be mitigated by the High Needs Stability grant due to be paid in autumn 2026. 33. The favourable movement relates to High Needs expenditure and the service’s ongoing work to reduce reliance on costly independent placements through increased local provision and early intervention. Th e in-year shortfall is driven by continued demand and cost pressures in High Needs placements . Rising demand for specialist provision, a shortage of maintained special school places, and increas ed reliance on costly independent non-maintained placements are contributing to widespread overspends in the High Needs Block. This position will be significantly improved following the final local government funding settlement announcement made on 9 Februar y 2026 setting out the Government’s plans to support local authorities with their DSG deficits. The announcement included the following statement: “All local authorities with SEND deficits will be eligible in 2026/27 to receive a grant covering 90% of their High Needs-related DSG deficit accrued up to the end of 2025 -26. This grant will be paid in Autumn 2026, subject to each local authority submitting and securing the Department for Education’s approval of a local SEND reform plan.” Table 5 below provides a summary of the Schools Budget and the current forecast. 34. In the November 2025 budget, the Government confirmed that starting from the 2028 -29 financial year, future special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) costs will be managed within the o verall central government spending envelope, shifting the responsibility from local authorities. Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) Table 5: DSG Income and Expenditure Summary Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) Blocks Budget 2025/26 Month 10 Forecast Variance Month 9 Variance DSG Settlement Academy Recoup- ment LBH Maintained £m £m £m £m £m £m Schools Block 297.9 (187.0) 110.9 110.8 (0.1) 0.0 Early Years Block 48.3 0.0 48.3 48.1 (0.2) 0.0 Central Schools Block 2.5 0.0 2.5 2.5 0.0 0.0 High Needs Block 86.8 (13.1) 73.7 70.7 (3.0) (2.9) Budgeted Use of Reserves (12.5) 0.0 (12.5) (12.5) 0.0 0.0 Total 423.0 (200.1) 222.9 219.8 (3.3) (2.9) Balance Brought Forward 1 April 2025 65.9 Budgeted Use of Reserves 12.5 Pressure/(Reduction) (3.3) Total Deficit at 31 March 2026 75.1 35. There is currently a time-limited statutory override in place until 31 March 2028, ringfencing the Schools Budget deficit such that this does not impact upon general reserves. The Council, like many other local authorities, has a large Schools Budget deficit which stood at £65.9m on 31 March 2025, exceeding the level of General Fund reserves held. During the course of this year, the Council has successfully reduced the in-year spend against the Schools Bud get and continues to make good progress. The Final Local Government Settlement announced on 9 February 2026 set out the Government ’s plans to fund circa 90% of existing DSG deficits which will significantly reduce the deficit but will leave the Council with a residual balance to address in 2028/29. 36. The Council is actively progressing a range of strategic initiatives aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), while ensuring more sustainable use of resources. These efforts include reducing the overall number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), lowering the average top-up funding required per EHCP, and decreasing the average cost of education placements. In parallel, the Council is working to enhance the value for money of commissioned services and to increase financial contributions from partner agencies towards the support of children and young people with SEND. The Council is beginning to see a significant reduction in the in-year deficit as a consequence. Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) 37. A core target for the revised High Needs Safety Valve Plan is to actively reduce unit costs by concentrating SEN support in -borough within our maintained schools and thereby reduce dependence on high cost independent and out-of-borough placements. Trend data shows clear evid ence that the approach which has been in place since early 2024/25 is now beginning to have a positive impact. HOUSING REVENUE ACCOUNT 38. The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) continues to forecast a breakeven position. Operating costs are showing an in -year p ressure of £ 2.0m, before financing charges , representing a £0.3m increase from Month 9. The pressures are primarily driven by staffing costs – higher agency and contingent labour costs offset by vacancy savings , increased reactive and void r epairs, together with an under -recovery of rents due to delays in acquisitions becoming operational. These pressures are offset by a reduction in the revenue contributions to the capital programme, ensuring the HRA remains balanced. 39. The 2025/26 closing HRA General Balance is forecast to be £15.0m, in line with the target level set out in the Council’s budget strategy. The table below presents key variances with a £1.6m pressure against operating costs being compounded by a £0.4m adverse variance against rental inc ome. This position is kept to breakeven by a reduction in the capital financing costs, with the Council opting to reduce the revenue contribution to capital schemes in order to maintain the target level of balances. This position represents a £0.3m adverse operating cost movement since Month 9 offset by a corresponding movement in revenue contributions to capital. Table 6: Housing Revenue Account Service Budget Forecast Outturn Variance Prior Month Change £m £m £m £m £m Rent & Other Income (85.7) (85.3) 0.4 0.4 0 Net Income (85.7) (85.3) 0.4 0.4 0.0 Operational Assets 16.2 16.1 (0.1) (0.2) 0.1 Director of Housing 9.7 11.4 1.7 1.4 0.3 Other Service Areas 1.0 1.3 0.3 0.3 0 Contribution to Shared Services 11.9 11.6 (0.3) (0.2) (0.1) HRA Operating Costs 38.8 40.4 1.6 1.3 0.3 Capital Programme Financing 31.0 26.7 (4.3) (4.0) (0.3) Interest and Investment Income 15.9 18.2 2.3 2.3 0 Total Capital Programme Financing 46.9 44.9 (2.0) (1.7) (0.3) (Surplus) / Deficit 0.0 0.0 0.0 General Balance 01/04/2025 15.0 15.0 0 General Balance 31/03/2026 15.0 15.0 0.0 Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) 40. The detail behind the service delivery of the blocks included in Table 6 are as follows:  Operational Assets budget funds the services provided for repairs and maintenance, void repairs, compliance and inspections.  The Director of Housing budget includes tenancy management and tenants’ services. The budgets include utility costs, and these wi ll continue to be monitored given the volatility of the electricity and gas markets in recent times.  The Other Service Areas budget includes the Careline contract, HRA specific ICT costs and the revenue regeneration costs.  The Contribution to Shared Serv ices budget includes the development and risk contingency, overheads and corporate and democratic core charges, and the bad debt provision. 41. Rental and other income has a forecast pressure of £0.4m. The annual void loss was budgeted at £0.8m (1% of dwelling rent) but is now expected to be £1.1m (1.4% of dwelling rent) for the year . At M10, there were 108 standard voids completed against an annual budget of 106, indicating higher volumes being done. Acquisitions and buybacks (59) are taking longer to process to lettable status, with 60% being void for over 120 days. All of the 72 new build properties have been void for over 120 days. 42. In addition, there has been a higher than forecast number of Right To Buy properties. The current forecast for the year is 90 against an original expectation of 25. 43. The revised HRA Operating Costs budget is £38.8m and at Month 10 is forecast to overspend by £1.6m, due to staffing pressures including in tenancy management where there are also increased gas and electricity costs, removal costs and council tax levies on empty properties. 44. The s taffing variance of £523k is mainly due to agency staff covering posts whilst restructures are being implemented. This variance should reduce by the first quarter in 2026/27. Energy cost variance of £382k is mainly due to an expectation that electricity and gas prices would each reduce by 25% in 2025/26. Electricity £392k and gas £268k budgets were reduced in M8 however these reductions are proving to have been overestimations. Moving tenants into and out of Bed and Breakfast accommodation is costing an additional £259k in hotel costs and £95k in removal costs. Empty properties are incurring a council tax levy of £330k, part of which may be reimbursed. 45. Operational Assets are forecast to underspend by £100k in the year. This is due to higher levels of capitalisation for void properties (c£600k) and of gas maintenance works (c£300k) offset by overspend pressures including higher reactive repairs spend (c£800k). Cabinet Report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) 46. At Month 10 the capital programme financing budget of £46.9m is forecast lower by £2.0m. This budget includes £31.0m (depreciation and revenue contributions) to fund the HRA capital programme, and £15.9m for repayments of loans and interest on bo rrowing. This position is closely monitored throughout the year with clear linkages to the commissioning plan. Financial Implications Financial implications are included in the main body of the report. RESIDENT BENEFIT & CONSULTATION The benefit or impact upon Hillingdon residents, service users and communities? All activities and Services provided by the Council and funded through the budget setting process have a direct impact on Hillingdon residents, service users and communities. Consultation & Engagement carried out (or required) The draft budget 2025/26 was subject to a consultation exercise conduc ted by the Council from 13 December 2024 to January 2025. The results of the consultation including a summary of key findings was published on the council’s website as an appendix to the 2025/26 Budget setting report that was considered by Cabinet on 20 February 2025. CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS Corporate Finance This report is produced in conjunction with Corporate Finance and comments are included throughout the report. Legal It is in keeping with the principles of good governance for a regular monitoring report to be brought to Cabinet, in relation to the Council’s budget position. Any relevant legal implications are referred to the financial implications section within this report, or elsewhere within the body of this report. BACKGROUND PAPERS Previous budget monitoring reports to Cabinet and approved budget

Cabinet report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) PUBLIC PREVIEW: MATTERS TO BE CONSIDERED LATER IN PRIVATE Cabinet Member(s) As appropriate Cabinet Portfolio(s) As appropriate Officer Contact(s) Mark Braddock – Democratic Services Papers with report None HEADLINES Summary A report to Cabinet to provide maximum transparency to residents on the private matters to be considered later in Part 2 of the Cabinet meeting and agenda. This will enable Cabinet Members to openly discuss such matters generally in public, and via the Council’s live broadcast of the meeting, without prejudicing their later consideration in private. Putting our Residents First Delivering on the Council Strategy 2022-2026 This report supports our ambition for residents / the Council of: An efficient, well-run, digital-enabled council working with partners to deliver services to improve the lives of all our residents This report supports our commitments to residents of: A Digital-Enabled, Modern, Well-Run Council Financial Cost As set out in the report. Relevant Select Committee As set out in this report under each item – however, this item is not for scrutiny call-in as it is information only. Ward(s) As set out in the report RECOMMENDATION That Cabinet note the reports to be considered later in private and Part 2 of the Cabinet agenda and comment on them as appropriate for public information purposes. Cabinet report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) Reasons for recommendation Why are certain reports considered in private? As a transparent, democratic organisation, the Council’s Cabinet will consider matters in public on Part 1 of this Cabinet agenda. However, there will inevitably be some reports that will need to be considered in private. T hese would generally relate to contracts , property transactions or commercially sensitive information , for example, tender bids from commercial organisations , which if made public, could prejudice the Council’s ability secure value -for-money for resident taxpayers. This information is also called ‘exempt’ information and is considered in Part 2 of any Cabinet agenda by applying the relevant section of the Part 1 of Schedule 12 (A) to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended), in that the report contains certain information and that the public interest in withholding that information outweighs the public interest in disclosing it. How can the public find out more about the private reports? To ensure maximum transparency when the Cabinet considers such private reports: 1) They are first given advance notice on the Cabinet’s Forward Plan in summary form setting out the reason why they will be considered in private . The Forward Plan is a public document setting out all the expected decisions the Cabinet will make over the coming year, except those that are urgent, and is available on the Council’s website to view; 2) This report provides a fuller public preview of the matters to be discussed in Part 2 of this Cabinet meeting and gives an opportunity for Cabinet Members t o highlight issues of significance within and for public information purposes, without prejudicing their later fuller consideration in private. It also sets out the recommendations in general terms that are being proposed for a decision on. 3) Consideration of this report will also be broadcast live on the Council’s YouTube channel: Hillingdon London, and available for viewing afterwards, for wider democratic engagement. 4) After these private reports are considered in Part 2 of this Cabinet meeting, Cabinet’s full decisions on them will then be published on the Council’s website the day after the Cabinet meeting, along with the decisions on the other matters already considered in public. Alternative options considered Cabinet could resolve to release any private report into the public domain in extraordinary or highly exceptional cases , where it considers the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in withholding it. However, to ensure greater transparency on all private matters considered, this public preview item is advised as the most suitable way forward. Legal comments Such private matters are considered in accordance with Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) Access to Information provisions and also The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012. This report enables such matters to be discussed in public as far as is possible under the relevant legislation. Cabinet report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) SUPPORTING INFORMATION ITEM 10 – DYNAMIC PURCHASING SYSTEM FOR TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION PLACEMENTS Relevant Cabinet Member Cllr Tuckwell - Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing & Growth Relevant Ward(s) All Relevant Select Committee Residents’ Services Information The report seeks approval to extend the Council’s existing Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) used for securing Temporary Accommodation (TA) for households who present to the Council as homeless. The DPS is the procurement mechanism (via an approved list of providers) that the Council uses to source suitable places for residents in need, ensuring placements can be made quickly, safely and in line with statutory homelessness duties. Demand for temporary accommodation in Hillingdon continues result in a sustained pressure on housing services. The proposal before Cabinet to extend the DPS allows the Council to:  Maintain a flexible and competitive marketplace of accommodation providers.  Ensure best-value placements for residents.  Keep a system in place that allows new providers to join, increasing choice and capacity.  Continue to meet its legal obligations to support homeless individuals and families. The DPS supports a range of temporary accommodation options, including:  Self-contained flats or houses for families.  Shared or supported accommodation for single people.  Emergency placements when residents need an immediate safe place to stay. These services ensure that residents have access to safe, suitable temporary housing while the Council works with them to secure longer-term accommodation. Notwithstanding the need for such procurement arrangements, TA one of the Council’s biggest financial pressures and t he Council is taking active steps to manage this spend and curb demand whilst also strengthening early homelessness prevention, expanding more stable and better-value accommodation options, building new homes and improving move-on pathways into permanent housing. These measures ensure the Council can continue meeting statutory duties while delivering better value for residents. Cabinet receives a regular public quarterly report to monitor such progress. Cabinet report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) ITEM 11 – FLEET MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR CONTRACT Relevant Cabinet Member Cllr Tuckwell - Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing & Growth Relevant Ward(s) All Relevant Select Committee Corporate Resources & Infrastructure Information The Council operates a large and diverse fleet of vehicles that support essential frontline services such as waste and recycling collections, highways maintenance, passenger transport, and the upkeep of parks and green spaces. To keep these vehicles roadworthy, safe, and available when needed, the Council uses a specialist maintenance and repair service. This report proposes extending the current arrangements for maintaining the Council’s fleet for a further year. The purpose of the extension is to ensure continuity of a reliable service that keeps vehicles on the road, supports compliance with national safety standards, and helps frontline teams deliver services efficiently to residents. Under the existing maintenance service, the Council benefits from:  High safety and compliance standards, including excellent performance in national vehicle roadworthiness assessments.  Reduced vehicle downtime, ensurin g key services such as refuse collection continue uninterrupted.  Access to specialist expertise, particularly for large and complex vehicles such as refuse trucks.  Local employment and skills development, including apprenticeships for young people entering the vehicle engineering trade. Maintaining an effective and compliant fleet is essential for delivering day -to-day services across the Borough and extending the current maintenance arrangements ensures stability while supporting operational efficiency, service resilience, and value to residents. ITEM 12 – HOME CARE, EXTRA-CARE AND REABLEMENT SERVICES CONTRACTS Relevant Cabinet Member Cllr Jane Palmer – Cabinet Member for Health & Social Care Relevant Ward(s) All Relevant Select Committee Corporate Resources & Infrastructure Information The Council is responsible for providing a range of community -based care services that help adults, children and young people in Hillingdon to live safely, independently and with dignity. These include homecare, outreach support, extra -care housing support and reablement services, all of which ensure residents receive the help they need at home and in their communities. Cabinet report – 19 March 2026 (Part 1 Public) This report proposes extending the current care contracts so that these essential services can continue without interruption while the Council undertakes a full review of how they are delivered. The aim is to design a future model of care that is more flexible, sustainable and better aligned with residents’ needs. The proposed contractual decisions support the Council’s statutory duties under the Care Act 2014 and Children & Families Act 2014 and maintains stability in the local care market while a new procurement process is prepared. ITEM 13 – FUEL CONTRACT FOR THE COUNCIL’S FLEET Relevant Cabinet Member Cllr Tuckwell - Cabinet Member for Planning, Housing & Growth Relevant Ward(s) All Relevant Select Committee Corporate Resources & Infrastructure Information The Council relies on a large fleet of operational vehicles to deliver essential frontline services for residents. These include waste and recycling collections, street cleansing, highways operations, housing repairs, green spaces maintenance and passenger transport. To keep these front-line services running efficiently, a reliable supply of ULSD (Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel) is required at the Council’s depots. This report asks Cabinet to consider the award of a new fuel supply contract so that the Council can continue delivering key services safely, efficiently and without interruption. The report sets out the procurement approach which draws on national procurement frameworks that promote competition and operational resilience. The report also outlines how fuel usage is monitored, how the Council seeks value for money, and how this arrangement supports a modern, efficient organisation delivering high -quality services for residents. The report also highlights how unit fuel prices are highly sensitive to fluctuations in global oil markets regardless of Council decisions , and given current international factors, the Council will continue to be vigilant in monitoring demand and prices. It should be noted that the Council continues to use and explore further use of electric vehicles and over the next few years this will become increasingly viable as part of its climate change action plan.