Speaking at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool this week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer told delegates that care leavers under 25 will be exempt from local connection rules which require a connection to a local area before accessing social housing.

Currently, 89% of councils have a local connection or residency test in place to determine who can qualify for social housing.

Sector leaders have “warmly welcomed” the changes, however, they have called for greater support for care leavers wanting to enter the private rental sector and for more resources for councils to tackle youth homelessness.

Dr Tom Kerridge, Centrepoint’s policy and research manager, said: “Care leavers often find themselves moved all over the country because of budgetary constraints and a lack of housing availability, so this is hugely positive for a particularly vulnerable and often neglected group.