Ealing Council approves new temporary accommodation policy

Ealing Council Approves New Policy for Homeless Household Placements

Ealing Council's Cabinet has approved a new policy designed to standardise the placement of homeless households in temporary accommodation and private rented sector offers. The policy, adopted during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, introduces a transparent three-zone framework to guide decisions, aiming to balance the pressures of homelessness and limited housing supply with the need for lawful, fair, and suitable placements.

Councillor Louise Brett, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Safe and Genuinely Affordable Homes, presented the policy, highlighting its importance in navigating the challenges of homelessness and housing supply. The policy introduces a three-zone placement framework:

• Zone 1 – Accommodation in the borough of Ealing: Priority is given to households with specific needs, including children with Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) attending specialist settings in Ealing, individuals requiring specialist medical treatment only available in Ealing, or households receiving significant care packages from the Council or NHS that cannot be transferred.
• Zone 2 – Accommodation within 90 minutes travelling distance of Ealing: Priority is given to households where individuals are in settled employment (at least six months, 16+ hours/week), women on maternity leave from eligible employment, families with children nearing key exams (GCSEs, A Levels, BTECs), households with a child subject to a Child Protection Plan or receiving significant Children's Services support where transfer would impact welfare, and Ealing's care experienced young adults (CEYA) under 25 with an assigned Personal Assistant.
• Zone 3 – Accommodation in any area including outside of London: This zone applies to households not meeting the criteria for Zones 1 or 2, or where a move outside London is preferable due to risks of gang and drug-related violence, or if the household expresses interest in relocating outside of London.

Each placement decision will consider health needs, education, employment, care arrangements, support networks, access to services, affordability, and safeguarding concerns. While the policy provides general principles, officers retain discretion to consider exceptional circumstances on a case-by-case basis.

Addressing Councillor Concerns

During the meeting, concerns were raised by councillors regarding the policy's application to households with long travel times, communication with councillors, and the number of people housed from other boroughs. Councillor Brett addressed these points, explaining the rationale behind the zone system and the council's efforts to collaborate with other London boroughs.

To ensure effective communication, Councillor Brett stated, absolutely it will not be shelved for certain and yeah, what we will do is look to seek to update our website if it hasn't already been updated I think it's in the process of being looked at but also I'm more than happy to send you know a briefing note around about kind of what the policy is and also if needed we can do about a briefing for councillors on that. ¹

Regarding placements from other boroughs, Councillor Brett acknowledged, I don't have an exact figure on how many people are placed within our borough from other boroughs but what you have highlighted with your question is the fact that there is an ongoing issue across the whole of London and beyond and at the moment we I know that we get quite a lot of central London boroughs that place to us and then that forces our costs to go up and it ends up meaning that sometimes we end up having to place people further away. She added that there is ongoing work within London councils to establish agreements for mutual support regarding homelessness and temporary accommodation. ²

Defining and Supporting Vulnerable Households

The policy places specific emphasis on vulnerable households. While a precise definition is not explicitly stated, the criteria for Zones 1 and 2 address various forms of vulnerability. These include children with EHCPs, households requiring specialist medical treatment, those receiving significant care packages, children subject to Child Protection Plans, care-experienced young adults, and eligible working households. The policy also notes that households where risks of violence make a move outside London preferable are considered in Zone 3. ³

Furthermore, the council will seek to prioritise support for vulnerable households, including families with children, households with health conditions, care experienced young adults, households with safeguarding concerns and households placed in emergency or out-of-borough accommodation. ⁴

Safeguards for Out-of-Borough Placements

The council acknowledged the potential for adverse impacts from out-of-borough placements, particularly for vulnerable households. However, these are justified by robust safeguards, including priority criteria, individual suitability assessments, statutory review rights, monitoring, and resident support. ⁵

• Priority Criteria: The three-zone framework prioritises placements based on educational, health, care, employment, and safeguarding needs.
• Suitability Assessments: Each placement decision considers a comprehensive range of factors, with officers retaining discretion for exceptional circumstances.
• Review Rights: Households have statutory rights to request internal reviews of accommodation suitability and can appeal to the County Court if a legal error is suspected.
• Monitoring and Resident Support: The policy includes a plan for monitoring placement outcomes and offering support services to minimise disruption, such as housing advice, welfare support, and assistance with school and GP registration.