Agenda item

RESOLVED that 1) the Council’s Revised Allocations Policy be approved, and a public consultation process be carried out,

2) the Assistant Director of Housing Management and Enforcement be given delegated powers in consultation with the Leader, Deputy Leader, and Portfolio Holder for Housing, to adopt the Revised Allocations Policy in the absence of any substantive changes following consultation.

Executive considered a detailed report which sought Members approval to commence consultation on the draft revised housing allocations policy, and to grant the Assistant Director of Housing Management and Enforcement delegated powers, in consultation with the Leader, Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Housing, to adopt the Allocations Policy in the absence of any substantive changes following public consultation.

It was a statutory requirement under Part VI of the Housing Act 1996, for local authorities to have an allocations policy in place which outlined how social housing located within their authority would be allocated. Statutory guidance on social housing allocations for local authorities in England set out how allocation schemes were to be framed - a summary of this guidance was outlined in the report.

The last full review of the Council’s allocations policy was undertaken in 2019, and formally adopted in April 2020. This moved away from a points-based system to a band system.

As demand for social housing continued to rise, it was important that the housing allocations policy provided a genuine route to access housing for households in need. The criteria to determine access to the housing register and priority banding were important.

The report outlined a number of proposed changes to the existing allocations policy including the rationale, and also provided a proposed timeframe for completion of the public consultation. Full details were contained within the appendix ‘summary of changes’ document attached to the report. The changes proposed may mean that some households who did not have a housing need were no longer eligible to access social housing via the Council’s Housing Register. A full equality impact assessment would be carried out as part of the consultation phase.

Following analysis and careful consideration of the consultation responses, a final updated policy would be presented to the Leader, Deputy Leader, and Portfolio Holder for Housing, for final approval and adoption.

Moved by Councillor Sandra Peake and seconded by Councillor John Ritchie

RESOLVED that 1) the Council’s Revised Allocations Policy be approved, and a public consultation process be carried out,

            2) the Assistant Director of Housing Management and Enforcement be             given delegated powers in consultation with the Leader, Deputy             Leader, and Portfolio Holder for Housing, to adopt the Revised             Allocations Policy in the absence of any substantive changes following             consultation.

Reasons for Recommendation

It is a statutory requirement that Councils have an allocations policy in place under Part VI of the Housing Act 1996. The policy needs to reflect changes in legislation and Government guidance as well as local requirements.

It is important that the policy is regularly reviewed to ensure that it remains fit for purpose and continues to ensure that the limited resource of social housing is allocated fairly, in line with legislation and with local and national priorities. The unprecedented demand on the housing register means the Council needed to ensure the policy balances the availability of resources with housing needs.

Alternative Options and Reasons for Rejection

The policy is considered necessary so that members of the public are aware of the Council’s position on allocations to ensure that the bands reflect the statutory housing need and that the policy is applied consistently.

The Assistant Director of Housing Management and Enforcement left the meeting.