Housing Benefit consultation
Department for Work and Pensions consulted on the future of Housing Benefit earlier this year. Their proposals focused on how Housing Benefit can support people to enter work, how it can be made more efficient and represent better value for money. The consultation is now closed, but the proposals can be found in the consultation paper.
If you would like further information please contact Anna Dent.
Federation proposals on changes to allocations and homelessness legislation
We are currently developing a major piece of work which proposed changes to the allocations and homelessness legislation. We believe that wide-ranging reform is needed to ensure that the system is fair, transparent and supports sustainable communities.
We will be releasing a public consultation to debate these issues in early 2010. For further information about this work please email Anna Dent.
CLG consultation on allocations policies
Earlier this year Communities and Local Government launched new statutory guidance for local authorities on the allocation of social housing. It is designed to highlight and encourage the use of the freedoms and flexibilities already in existence. The guidance was consulted on last year.
Unlawful sub-letting initiative
Communities and Local Government launched a crackdown on unlawful sub-letting in autumn 2009. Housing associations with more than 1,000 properties were funded by CLG to take part in the National Fraud Initiative, which highlights households where fraud may be taking place. Local authorities are also being funded to work with associations to investigate possible cases of sub-letting.
For further information about the initiative, please email socialhousingfraud@communities.gsi.gov.uk.
Homelessness
The lack of decent, affordable homes wrecks lives, but the lack of any home at all is catastrophic. That is why we lobbied Government to commit to £6.3bn for the building of 100,000 new social homes over the next two years in this year's Budget. The announcement of £1bn to kick start the housing market was a step in the right direction, but didn't go far enough.
In the meantime, nearly 100,000 households are accepted as homeless each year and housing associations are working with local authorities and charities to alleviate this. 71% of all the lettings made by housing associations are to people who come to the sector via local authorities (whose duty it is decide who ‘qualifies’ as homeless). In London this figure rises to 83% (figures from CORE 07/08). 23% of all housing association lettings are made to homeless families, almost identical to the 24% of local authority lettings (CORE April-June 08).
The statutory duties which local authorities must fulfil when trying to reduce homelessness and assist homeless households are set out in the Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities.
There is however more to tackling homelessness than fulfilling statutory obligations. Many housing associations offer schemes which help vulnerable people sustain tenancies and prevent homelessness to begin with, for example debt advisors and family mediation. Some offer this service to vulnerable tenants in private sector accommodation as well.
Allocations
The rules on who is given highest priority for social housing are available in the CLG publication Allocation of Accommodation. This describes which types of households are given reasonable preference, which gives them higher priority to access social housing. In some areas of England the demand for social housing is so high that if an applicant is not homeless or in other very high housing need it may be almost impossible for them to be allocated a social home.
Difficulty affording reasonable accommodation on the open market can lead to serious housing issues down the line, but it is given little priority in the current allocations system. The need to move to take up employment or training can be recognised by the current system but again it is given low priority compared to other needs. It can be difficult to develop and maintain sustainable communities when they are mostly made up of those in the most difficult circumstances with high levels of need.
Choice Based Lettings
Choice based lettings (CBL) is due to be introduced to all areas of England by 2010. CBL offers aplicants for housing a choice over which property and area they wish to live in - each applicant is banded according to their housing need and can then bud for available properties. CBL can provide a more transparent system than traditional allocations, and allows prospective tenants more choice and control over their homes.
In autumn 2008, CLG published revised guidelines for local authorities administering CBL schemes, which is also of relevance to housing associations. A fund for the development of regional and sub-regional scheme is currently open (March - October 2009). Guidance on submitting a proposal is available from the CLG website.
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