Decision details

Councillor Damian White, Cabinet member for Housing, introduced the report

Members were informed that the report before them sought approval for a revised Housing Allocations Scheme and the introduction of a Homelessness Placements Policy following a period of consultation which had concluded on 4 April 2016.

There was a statutory requirement for local authorities to publish an Allocations Scheme that set out how households were prioritised for social housing.  The Localism Act 2011 provided local authorities with considerable discretion in constructing the scheme.  The fully revised draft Allocations Scheme covered the eligibility and qualification for, and letting of, social housing in the borough.

Reasons for the decision:

Havering was a popular place in which to live and the revised Housing Allocations Scheme and the proposed Placements Policy would provide a more efficient housing service with better outcomes for residents in high housing need as well as enable the Council to discharge its duty to homeless households into the private rented sector housing.

In addition, welfare reform meant that households who were not working would not be able to receive more in benefits than the average wage of those in work.  This would mean that some households might be offered homes in more affordable areas outside of the borough.  The Homeless Placements Policy clarified what the Council would take into account when it discharged its homelessness duty to households applying under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996.

Other options considered:

Significant freedoms existed in devising the Allocations Scheme, following the enactment of the Localism Act 2011 and statutory guidance from the Department of Communities and Local Government. Therefore one of the options explored was to extend the residency criterion to up to 8 years.  This was rejected as it would have had a disproportionate adverse impact on black and Minority ethnic communities.

To maintain the existing Allocations Scheme and not to introduce the Homeless Placements Policy was rejected because there would potentially be further increased costs to the Council as it would have to consider providing a subsidy for households placed in the private sector locally as a result of the introduction of the welfare benefit cap from August 2013 (which meant that the rents charged in Havering and other parts of London for temporary accommodation and private rented sector homes would be unaffordable).

Cabinet:

1.            Approved the revised draft Housing Allocations Scheme attached as Appendix 2 to the report.

2.            Approved the new draft Homeless Placements Policy attached as Appendix 3 to the report.

3.            Delegated to the Leader of the Council and the Cabinet Member for Housing authority to make any minor amendments to the revised Allocations Scheme and the Homeless Placements Policy, necessitated by any future guidance, further legal advice, national government or operational requirements, unless these would have a significant financial impact in which case a further report would be brought to Cabinet.

4.            Delegated to the Head of Housing authority to review the circumstances of every household on the Housing Register to enable a reassessment of their priority for housing as part of the implementation of the revised Allocation Scheme and new Homeless Placements Policy.

5.            Approved the transitional implementation period of six months for the revised Housing Allocations Scheme in order to give existing households on the housing register who would no longer qualify for housing time to secure alternative accommodation before they were removed from the housing register.

6.            Approved full implementation of the new Homeless Placements Policy as soon as was practicable.