The Wales Centre for Public Policy (WCPP) is exploring how evidence can be used to help local governments to address Wales’ temporary accommodation crisis.
To do this, we are running an online workshop and launching an open call to enable local authorities to submit expressions of interest for evidence support from WCPP. We will provide more information about this during the workshop and explain how local authorities can collaborate with WCPP to use evidence to address key challenges related to temporary accommodation.
Background
Homelessness in Wales remains stubbornly high, with the 2024/25 figures showing that the number of households assessed as homeless (that local authorities are duty bound to help secure accommodation for) was 13,287. Nested within this crisis is the surge in demand for temporary accommodation to house individuals, with 10,941 people housed in temporary accommodation in July 2025. Temporary accommodation can negatively impact residents’ health and wellbeing, often deepening poverty and inequality. It has also led to unprecedented and unsustainable levels of council spending, with the latest report from Audit Wales revealing that council spending on temporary accommodation in Wales increased from £28 million in 2019 to £172 million by 2023-24.
The online workshop will bring together key stakeholders, including the Centre for Homelessness Impact, to discuss the latest evidence related to temporary accommodation in Wales, hearing presentations from:
- Benjamin Lewis, Welsh Government Knowledge and Analytics Services (KAS)
- Ian Thomas, Administrative Data Research (ADR) Wales
- Jennie Bibbings, Senedd Research
- Philippa Dixon and Timothy Buckle, Audit Wales
- Wendy Dearden, Bevan Foundation
The workshop is intended for housing and homelessness teams and decision-makers in local authorities, along with elected local government representatives working to reduce the need for and use of temporary accommodation, and/or to improve the use of temporary accommodation.
Please register below. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Rosalind Phillips (rosalind.phillips@wcpp.org.uk). *Please register by November 13 if you would like to interact with this workshop through the medium of Welsh.
