Source: https://www.engadget.com/2016/06/14/ipad-as-smart-home-hub-in-ios-10/
No inclination to get the latest Apple TV just to give yourself a hub for your HomeKit devices? If you have a reasonably recent iPad hanging around, you won't have to. Apple tells SlashGear that iOS 10 can use your iPad as a smart home hub as long as the tablet is both plugged in and connected to your network. It seems like an odd move, but Apple says it's all about increasing HomeKit's reach -- you can't buy the new Apple TV in countries like China, so the iPad offers that remote home automation instead. Either way, you probably won't want to try this in a multi-person household. You don't want to lose out-of-home control over your thermostat just because Junior wants to play Hearthstone.
Source: SlashGear