Housing Minister John Healey announced new measures aimed at giving confidence that councils allocate housing in their area fairly.
It forms part of the Prime Minister's Housing Pledge to improve access to housing by giving councils a bigger role in meeting the needs of people in their area, and clamping down on tenancy cheats who unlawfully sub-let their properties for a profit.
Draft guidance makes clear that first priority for housing must be given to those in greatest housing need. But it also strengthens the freedoms councils have to prioritise needs specific to their local area. This could include:
The draft guidance also makes clear the need for councils to tackle the myths and misunderstandings surrounding allocations, by doing more to inform their communities about who is getting housing, and to consult tenants and residents when setting their local priorities, so that allocations policies are better understood and have greater legitimacy among local people.
The Minister also launched plans for a co-ordinated crackdown this autumn on people who cheat the housing system and profit from subletting their council house or housing association home. This anti-fraud drive, the first of its kind, could free up between 5,000 and 10,000 homes for those who need them over this and next year.
This multi-million pound anti-fraud drive includes a data sweep of housing and benefit records, and new practical advice for councils and housing associations on the best way to catch tenancy cheats - including on setting up local hotlines, and special crack squads to investigate reports of fraud.
This initiative is supported by the Audit Commission, National Housing Federation, Chartered Institute of Housing, the Tenant Services Authority and the Local Government Association.
Councils that sign up to this commitment and agree to work with local housing associations will benefit from a share of £4 million to help them start their own anti-fraud initiatives.
