New Government proposals will allow local authorities to insist homeless people accept any private sector housing offered to them, reports today's Inside Housing.

Currently councils can offer homeless people private sector accommodation, however the person to whom it is offered is not obliged to accept. Around 70 percent of homeless people choose to wait for social housing, with only 7 percent currently housed in private sector buildings.

Under the Housing Act 1996, councils have an obligation to help those without housing, albeit in private or public sector premises.

The Communities and Local Government hopes that by implementing this measure, more households will apply for "homeless" status in order to guarantee temporary accommodation ahead of social accommodation being identified. It could also mean an increase in the number of housing associations jobs being opened.

Cabinet member for housing, Philippa Roe has spoken in favour of the proposal, saying "We are supportive of this measure. We [in Westminster] have got 11,000 households on the social housing waiting list, and 5,000 households in priority need."

"We are never going to get through all of those people, and this means we can house them in perfectly good private sector accommodation." adds Roe.

In 2009, local authorities used private sector housing to support 65,000 homeless people throughout the UK, demonstrating the effectiveness of private sector buildings.