Supporting our residents to access affordable, good-quality housing is a priority for the council. We want homeless people to find settled, suitable accommodation.
Housing crisis
The housing crisis has forced the council to change how we house homeless people.
There are not enough affordable homes for rent in London and the southeast of England. The result is that homeless households are living in emergency accommodation such as hotels.
We are offering housing where people on low incomes can afford to pay their rent. The housing we offer is likely to be outside the southeast of England.
Rising private sector rents
Rents in Enfield and London can be hard to afford if you claim benefits or have a low income.
The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is used to work out Housing Benefit payments. LHA rates were frozen from 2020. Although the LHA increased in April 2024, it is highly unlikely that the LHA will cover all your rent if you want to live in Enfield or Greater London.
| Number of bedrooms | LHA (April 2024 to March 2025) | Median monthly rent in Enfield* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | £1,146.86 | £1,363 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,396.16 | £1,700 |
| 3 bedrooms | £1,690.35 | £2,300 |
| 4 bedrooms | £2,193.97 | £2,875 |
*This table shows median monthly rent which can be lower than a standard average (mean). The rent data in this table is from a 29 May 2024 Enfield market rent summary by Home.co.uk.
Our approach to housing placements
We can only place homeless households where there is affordable accommodation.
This will be in areas where rents and LHA rates are closer, so residents can afford their rent.
For emergency, temporary and longer-term accommodation, we will consider each household's circumstances. However, the housing we offer is unlikely to be in Enfield or London.
Limited housing in or near Enfield
There are few exceptions to our policy to offer homes outside of Enfield. For example, if you have children in their final year of GCSEs or A-levels.
Another possible exception is if you are a registered carer receiving Carer’s Allowance. You must also provide care for a family member who is not part of your household but who lives in Enfield.
You could get housing within a certain travel distance of Enfield if you have a severe and enduring health condition. You must also require specialist care that can only be provided in Enfield.
We must have proof of your needs to decide if you are high-priority for housing in or near Enfield.
Our full housing placement policy
Housing placement policy for homeless households (PDF, 214.18 KB).