The Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Panel was scheduled to consider a range of housing-related issues, including the council's approach to temporary accommodation and homelessness, progress on implementing Awaab's Law, and strategies for addressing private empty homes. The panel was also scheduled to review its work programme for the upcoming year.

Temporary Accommodation and Homelessness

The panel was scheduled to receive a report from Kayt Wilson, Director of Homelessness and Supported Housing, detailing the scale of the homelessness challenge in Enfield. The report was expected to outline the draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2026-2031, which aims to prevent homelessness wherever possible and ensure that when it cannot be prevented, it is rare, brief, and non-recurrent. The strategy proposes five priorities: preventing homelessness through early intervention, targeting support for those at higher risk, preventing crisis and ensuring homelessness is brief, improving temporary accommodation and residents' experiences, and providing recovery support to reduce repeat homelessness.

The report highlighted that demand for homelessness services remains high, with 4,827 households making an application in 2024/25. The ending of private rented sector tenancies was the primary driver for homelessness, accounting for 71.6% of cases. More than 3,000 households, including over 4,000 children, were living in temporary accommodation, with an average stay of 1,194 days at the end of December 2025. The report also noted significant financial pressures, with each additional household in temporary accommodation costing approximately £40,000 per year. Despite these challenges, the service had delivered improvements, with 61% of prevention outcomes achieved in 2026/27. The draft strategy aligns with Central Government's Local Outcomes Framework measures and will be delivered and monitored by the Enfield Homelessness Prevention Partnership Board.

Progress with Implementation of Awaab's Law

Thomas Fountain, Interim Service Director for Council Housing (Homes), was scheduled to present an update on the council's progress in managing damp and mould cases and its readiness for the implementation of Phase 2 of Awaab's Law. Awaab's Law, introduced through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, strengthens the responsibilities of social landlords to address housing hazards. Phase 1 focuses on damp and mould, requiring landlords to respond quickly to reported concerns and assess risks. Phase 2, due to come into force on 30 November 2026, will expand these requirements to cover a wider range of hazards, including excess cold, excess heat, fire safety, electrical safety, structural safety, and domestic hygiene.

The report indicated that the council had managed 3,374 reported damp and mould cases, with a completion rate of over 99%. Emergency repair completion rates were consistently high at 99.5%. The council has strengthened its governance, case management, and monitoring of vulnerable residents to ensure compliance. Preparations for Phase 2 are underway, with key workstreams including governance, case management, staff training, compliance assurance, contractor capacity, and reporting. The overall readiness for Phase 2 was assessed as Amber Green, indicating that the council is on track for implementation.

Private Empty Homes

The panel was scheduled to receive a report from Kayt Wilson and Mark Drury on the issue of private empty homes. The report was expected to detail the scale of empty homes in Enfield, with 3,482 recorded in October 2025, including 1,943 vacant for over six months. The report would outline the interventions available to the council, such as Council Tax premiums, owner engagement, leasing arrangements, Empty Dwelling Management Orders (EDMOs), and Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs). The service had brought 56 private sector empty homes back into use in 2025/26 and was managing 252 active cases in 2026/27. The report would also inform the development of the forthcoming Empty Homes Strategy 2027-2032.

Work Programme

The panel was scheduled to note the Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Panel Work Programme for 2026-2027. This programme outlines the topics that the panel intends to examine throughout the year, providing a forward look at the scrutiny activities planned.