Homelessness Law and Policy

Learning Outcomes

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Work collaboratively and handle sensitive or controversial issues
• Develop well‑structured and persuasive arguments
• Plan and carry out an independent research project
• Communicate complex ideas effectively in oral formats
• Manage time and workload effectively

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• To explore how legal frameworks on homelessness is influenced by underlying judgments of “deserving” and “undeserving” status
• Critically analyse the role of the state in relation to homelessness
• Demonstrate in‑depth knowledge of the statutory framework governing homelessness
• Analyse the impact of devolution on homelessness law across the UK
• Demonstrate understanding of the key legal concepts and the duties owed by local authorities to people experiencing homelessness

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Develop well‑reasoned academic arguments that are coherent, logical, sophisticated and supported by authority and theoretical frameworks
• Engage in debate and critical discussion of the legal issues associated with homelessness law and communicate sensitively and coherently
• Conduct an independent research project

This module examines homelessness through legal, socio‑legal, and policy perspectives, focusing on statutory frameworks, administrative decision‑making, lived experience, and critical theory. 1. Foundations of Homelessness Law The historical development of homelessness provision and regulation, including the evolution of statutory duties and the relationship between housing law, social policy, and socio‑legal analysis. 2. Allocation, Eligibility, and Decision‑Making Local authority duties and discretions in homelessness and housing allocation; eligibility criteria; administrative decision‑making; internal reviews, appeals, and judicial review. 3. Defining Homelessness The statutory meanings of homelessness and threatened homelessness; intentional homelessness; affordability; and theoretical approaches to freedom, responsibility, and constraint. 4. Priority Need and Vulnerability Priority need categories; the development of the vulnerability test through legislation and case law; critical and socio‑legal critiques of vulnerability as a legal concept. 5. Intersectionality and Equality Intersectionality as theory and method in homelessness law; equality and discrimination; domestic abuse; sexuality, gender identity, and challenges to dominant and heteronormative assumptions. 6. Street Homelessness Legal and socio‑spatial approaches to street homelessness in England and Wales; regulation, criminalisation, care, and lived experience, including issues relating to companion animals. 7. Homelessness and Health The relationship between homelessness, physical and mental health, disability, and access to healthcare; the role of medical evidence in legal decision‑making. 8. Hostels and Temporary Accommodation Institutional responses to homelessness, including hostels and temporary housing; legal regulation and policy approaches. 9. Comparative and International Perspectives International approaches to homelessness; Housing First; social integration; rural and urban homelessness; comparative policy responses. 10. Human Rights and Homelessness Housing as a human right; the concept of home; displacement, exclusion, and the destruction of home in domestic and international contexts.

Teaching is delivered through a combination of lectures and small‑group tutorials. Lectures Lectures provide a structured overview of each topic, introducing key legal principles and areas of controversy in homelessness law. Reading lists are provided in advance to guide preparation and direct further study. Tutorials Tutorials offer the opportunity to explore selected issues in greater depth, apply legal principles to problem‑based scenarios, develop critical analysis, develop research and public presentation skills. Students are expected to complete the required reading in advance and participate in discussion. Preparation questions and materials will be available on Blackboard. Tutorials also offer opportunities for students to seek clarification, practise public speaking, develop research skills and receive informal feedback.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.