Minutes:
The Sub-Committee received a report that provided an update following Cabinet approval in June 2016 for Housing Services to implement a revised Housing Allocations Scheme and new Homelessness Placements Policy.
The report informed Members that the Council’s Housing Allocations Scheme was used to determine which households were offered housing assistance in Havering and to explain how vacant social housing properties were let. The revised scheme provided a fair and transparent framework for determining priority between those in housing need.
The key objectives of the revised Housing Allocations Scheme were to:
The new scheme introduced the following changes in key policy areas and the impact of each area detailed whether the desired objectives have been achieved.
· Qualifying Criteria: Extending the residency period to a continuous period of residency from 5 to 6 years
Since the implementation period July 2016 to March 2017, 198 (10%) applicants were declined from joining the housing register because they did not meet the 6 year continuous residency criteria. The policy change had shown to have had a low adverse impact, with relatively low numbers of new applications rejected.
· Qualifying Criteria: Financial circumstances - income threshold increased from £27,500 to £36,000
The change in household income increased the income level to £36,000. This was based on the fact that rents on private sector properties had increased and become unaffordable for household with less than £36,000. Evidence shows residents were benefitting from the change because the number of applications rejected due to income has reduced.
Following the policy change, for the period July 2016 to March 2017, only 58 applicants (average of 6 a month) were rejected due to having household income higher than the threshold. Support was also being offered to rejected applicants to find homes in the private rented sector at levels they can afford.
· Qualifying Criteria: Unacceptable behaviour
Since the date of policy implementation to date, no applicant had been rejected from joining the housing register as a result of unacceptable behaviour, it was be noted that the change was likely to have acted as a deterrent for any applicant with a history of unacceptable behaviour from submitting an application.
· Restricting the housing register to those applicants who can demonstrate a housing need
Members were informed that following the policy implementation, 353 tenants were removed from the housing register after the transitional period as they were living in a suitable home. In addition, since the implementation period to March 2017, 1510 applicants (75% of those rejected) were declined from joining the housing register as they were suitably housed. Every household on the housing register now has a housing need for alternative accommodation.
· Reduced Housing Priority 6
It was noted that in order to ensure that the Council meets its obligations under the homelessness legislation and the Housing Act, a reduced priority band (RP) was introduced for accepted homeless households who do not meet the 6 year residency period.
Following the policy implementation, around 46% of residents in temporary accommodation who were on the housing register were awarded the ‘Reduced Priority’ band. Most of the applicants are in private sector leased accommodation that meets their need. Over the period July 2016 to March 2017 only one allocation was made to a household on the RP band.
· Policy Change 7 – One Offer Only Policy
The report outlined that the change in policy was meant to encourage applicants to make informed decisions before placing a bid for a property. Since the implementation of this change, refusals had
reduced to 45.
· Policy Change 6 – Sheltered Housing Eligibility Criteria
The Sub-Committee noted that under the previous scheme there was no eligibility criterion for Sheltered Housing. The change was made to ensure that that the lifestyle of those residing in sheltered accommodation was compatible with the scheme. Residents who met the following criteria could be housed in sheltered accommodation:
Since implementation of the change, 51 residents aged 55-80 has expressed a wish to move into sheltered accommodation; it represented 13% (402) of all older residents on the housing register.
Applicants also have a right to request a review if they do not agree with the placement. In terms of the settled private rented sector properties in Harlow, a total of 15 reviews were received, of which 13 were dismissed and 2 were upheld (for the 2 upheld, they were made alternative offers within Havering.
· Policy Change 8 – Priority Banding System
The change in policy was to simplify the priority banding system to five priority bands with clear criteria to make it easier to administer and explain to residents how allocations operated.
· Policy Change 10 – Choice based lettings and assisted bidding
Further to a Cabinet agreement to continue to operate a Choice Based Lettings system by advertising properties through the East London Lettings Company, the change limited the circumstances of when assisted bids / direct offers could be made and it was agreed that any properties being directly offered would not be advertised. It was also agreed that the aim would be to retain access to 70% of properties through bidding. For the period July – March 2017, 77 out of the 408 (19%) lettings were made through direct offers.
Members noted that since the policy change, the Council has embarked on a large regeneration programme in the borough affecting 12 council sites. Consequently, direct offers were being made to tenants on the regeneration programme and therefore form a greater proportion than the 30% previously intended. The impact of the regeneration scheme was being monitored.
The Sub-Committee noted that the policy objectives of both the Housing Allocations Scheme and Homeless Placements Policy have been achieved.
Supporting documents: