Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Housing introduced a report on proposed amendments to the Council’s Housing Allocations Policy.

The Cabinet Member explained that previous changes to the Housing Allocations Policy had resulted in the operation of different arrangements depending on whether applicants had joined the housing register before or after 3 November 2014, which was proving confusing for applicants and difficult for staff to administer and justify.

The Cabinet Member referred to the positive outcome of consultation with residents over a 12 week period on the plan to move to a single allocations policy and the arrangements for and implications of implementing the proposed arrangement.  The other changes to the existing policy related to restricting the circumstances under which owner occupiers would be eligible to join the register and introducing a period of suspension from bidding for applicants that refused three reasonable offers of accommodation.

In noting that the move to a single allocations policy would significantly reduce the number of eligible applicants, the Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Social Care suggested that the move could have a negative impact on people’s perception of the Council and lead to an increase in Members’ casework.  The Cabinet Member for Housing stated that whilst there would be a reputational risk of a reduced housing register, there was also the reputational risk of operating two allocations policies, which created inequality.  The concept of social housing was that it should be for those in most need and those who did not have the financial means to acquire their own property and the proposals would help to better achieve that aim.  The move to a more efficient system would also free up time for officers to work more proactively with applicants in a wide range of ways.

Members commented on the messages that should be conveyed to those affected by the proposed changes, the challenges also being faced by Housing Associations and the strong views held by the Labour Party’s London Mayoral candidate on housing issues.  In respect of the latter, the Leader stated that the most important factor when setting the Council’s policies was to ensure that the Council did what was right for its residents. 

Cabinet resolved to:

(i)  Agree that the current Housing Allocation Policy be retrospectively applied to all applications;

(ii)  Agree that the Housing Allocations Policy be amended as follows:

(a)  That owner occupiers be excluded from joining the housing register unless there are exceptional circumstances; and

(b)  To exercise the right to suspend applicants from bidding when they have refused three reasonable properties.