Housing policies - Homelessness, Private Rented Sector, Temporary Accommodation Placement

Overview

As part of our aims to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping we have a new draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026–2031 which sets out how we will work over the next five years to prevent homelessness, tackle rough sleeping and help households access suitable housing.

This links in with our updated Private Rented Sector Discharge Policy and Temporary Accommodation Placement Policy which explains how we decide where households are offered private rented housing and where households are placed in temporary accommodation. These are important polices in our aim to deliver a fairer housing system for all.

There is very high demand for housing support in the borough, with around 1,900 households living in temporary accommodation and around 2,900 households on the Housing Register waiting to be rehoused. However, very few households are offered social housing, meaning many households spend long periods in temporary accommodation.

We want to offer good-quality housing that meets households' needs. However, because Kensington and Chelsea has some of the highest private rents in the country and very limited temporary accommodation, most housing offers and placements are outside the borough.

The draft policies help us decide which households have the greatest need to live in or close to the borough, and which households may be housed further away.

You can feedback on these policies using the links below. If you require assistance in another language or would like a paper copy of the survey, please contact us at housingpolicy@rbkc.gov.uk or on 020 7361 2146.