This Chapter confers duties on local housing authorities to help people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness and makes connected provision.

Sections 55 to 59 define and otherwise explain the meaning of some key terms (further provision about interpretation and an index of terms defined in this Chapter is at section 99).

Section 60 requires local housing authorities to secure the provision of a service providing people with information and advice connected with homelessness and assistance in accessing help under this Chapter.

Section 61 introduces Schedule 2 which makes provision about eligibility for help under this Chapter.

Section 62 places a duty on a local housing authority to assess the cases of people (“applicants”) who apply to the authority for accommodation, or help in retaining or obtaining accommodation, where they appear to the authority to be homeless or threatened with homelessness.

Section 63 provides for notice to be given to applicants about the outcome of the assessment.

Section 64 gives examples of the kinds of ways in which the subsequent duties to secure or help to secure the availability of accommodation may be discharged and what may be done to discharge them; and section 65 explains what “help to secure” means.

Section 78 provides for the circumstances in which local housing authorities may have regard to whether an applicant became homeless intentionally when it is considering whether a duty to secure accommodation for applicants in priority need applies; section 77 provides for the meaning of intentionally homeless.

Sections 80 to 82 provide for local housing authorities to end their duties to applicants by referring their cases to other authorities in Wales or England, where the applicants have a local connection with the areas of those other authorities; section 81 defines the meaning of “local connection” for the purposes of this Chapter.

Sections 85 to 89 provide for reviews and appeals.

Sections 90 to 99 make supplementary and general provision.