Section: Allocations & Transfers
More Freedom Given to Councils on Managing Allocations
[KF] Housing Minister John Healey has given councils more flexibility in how they manage their waiting lists. He also called on councils to do more to tackle the myths and misunderstandings about housing waiting lists, so local people can have confidence that the system is fair.
The new statutory guidance makes clear that those in greatest housing need must be given priority. It also gives councils more freedom to allocate their homes according to needs specific to their local area.
Councils have indicated that they will use this extra flexibility to prioritise families with local connections, those seeking local employment and to tackle overcrowding and under-occupation in their communities.
Examples that illustrate this include:
- Manchester City Council, who are planning to prioritise those who are working, volunteering or taking up training and educational opportunities.
- London Borough of Newham, who plan to use revised allocation policies to tackle overcrowding.
- Bournemouth Borough Council, who plan to use the flexibilities to reduce the number of under-occupied homes.
- Test Valley Borough Council, who are looking at the possibility of setting a quota for a proportion of their housing stock to be available to those with a connection to the local area.
- Sheffield City Council, who plan to examine how they can use their allocation policies to improve access to employment opportunities.
- Gateshead Council, who are providing support for people in work or seeking work by introducing a policy to offer housing to key workers.
- Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, who are considering how they will use these flexibilities to tackle under and over-occupation of their housing, and meeting disabled peoples' needs.
- South Derbyshire District Council, who are examining how they can use their local lettings policies to ensure more mixed communities.
Councils will also be expected to consult their local communities on changes to their allocation policies, and inform local people about who is getting housing, ensuring allocation policies are better understood and have greater local legitimacy.
Examples of how councils are responding to this include:
- Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, which used residents surveys as part of a review of its Choice Based Lettings policy.
- South Cambridgeshire District Council, which sent a questionnaire to a sample of housing register applicants and new tenants asking their views on what they considered important to them in an allocation scheme.
- Sunderland City Council, which held online surveys of both members of the public and staff, and held consultations with housing associations and voluntary sector representatives in the area while drawing up their allocation scheme.
KeyFact
More Freedom Given to Councils on Managing Allocations
- Housing Minister John Healey has given councils more flexibility in how they manage their waiting lists.
The new statutory guidance makes clear that those in greatest housing need must be given priority.
- It also gives councils more freedom to allocate their homes according to needs specific to their local area.
Councils will also be expected to consult their local communities on changes to their allocation policies.
- They will also have to inform local people about who is getting housing, ensuring allocation policies are better understood and have greater local legitimacy.
