Report title:  Housing Allocation Scheme (2024)

Presented by: Councillor Keith Darvill, Lead Member for Climate Change and Housing Demand

Cabinet;

Approved the Housing Allocation Scheme 2024 attached in Appendix 1, and delegated the implementation date to the Director of Living Well in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Housing Demand.

Report title:  Housing Allocation Scheme (2024)

Presented by: Councillor Keith Darvill, Lead Member for Climate Change and Housing Demand

Summary:

The Housing Act 1996 Part VI requires local authorities to publish an allocation scheme that sets out their policy for allocating affordable housing provided by the council or housing associations in the borough. Councils are required to give reasonable preference to certain categories of applicant and have due regard to statutory guidance and the law.

1.1      Demand for social housing in Havering significantly exceeds the number of properties available. In the financial year 2022-23, only one in every 5 households on the Council’s Housing Register had a realistic prospect of securing social housing.

1.2      This scheme (see appendix 1) proposes a number of revisions to the current Scheme (dated 2021) to set out how Council housing is prioritised to ensure that it is fairly allocated to households in the greatest need.

1.3      It also sets out how the Council will enable access to other forms of affordable housing, such as shared ownership and intermediate rented housing.

Cabinet;

Approved the Housing Allocation Scheme 2024 attached in Appendix 1, and delegated the implementation date to the Director of Living Well in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Housing Demand.