The housing crisis and social housing allocations

There is intense demand for social housing in England, driven by a lack of supply of social homes and wider affordability challenges. 

With that context, how and to whom social housing is allocated really matters as decisions will involve trade offs between an array of different pressures. 

Our policy discussion paper draws on extensive member engagement to distil how allocations work in practice, revealing key challenges and pressure points in the system.

It sets out key themes from member discussions, examples of good practice and recommendations to inform the government’s review of statutory guidance on allocations.  

The housing crisis and social housing allocations - discussion paper

In this policy discussion paper, we outline the key challenges faced by members when allocating social homes.

Whilst increasing the supply of social housing remains the long-term solution to easing the strain on allocations, this paper explores how the system could work better within existing constraints. 

The overall number of households waiting for a social home continues to grow, and in a social housing system defined by scarcity, how the social homes that are available are allocated, and to whom, is vitally important.  

Our policy paper is built on extensive engagement with housing associations and other stakeholders in the sector. 

These conversations revealed a system under intense pressure, with key themes arising around how:  

• The shortage of homes and welfare reform is driving local pressures.
• A lack of access to support or supported housing is risking greater tenancy failure.
• Stronger partnership working with local authorities is yielding better outcomes for residents.
• Pre-tenancy assessments is playing an important role in promoting tenancy sustainment, better ensuring people are matched to appropriate homes with appropriate support.
• Choice Based Lettings (CBL) can lead to an ‘illusion of choice’ and its role and effectiveness should now be reviewed.  

Drawing on insights from members, the paper makes several recommendations to strengthen allocations in practice and improve outcomes for residents:   

• The government should establish a cross-sector working group with a remit to develop shared guidance and standards to improve partnership working at local levels. 
• The government should commit to developing its understanding of the support needs of residents in social housing, with a view to informing local partnership-based approaches which maximise potential for tenancy sustainment. 
• Welfare policy should be designed to work in tandem with housing policy - it should not be the case that a social tenancy is not affordable for any household.

Our paper is supported by case studies from our members across the country, illustrating the approaches housing associations and their local authority partners are taking to support more effective allocations practices in spite of the sector pressures.

They highlight how closer partnership working and collaboration can improve outcomes for households in need and make better use of existing housing.  

This paper is a starting point for an important conversation about embedding fairness and consistency within social housing allocations so that they can reflect both local and priority need.

We hope, through our recommendations, to inform the refreshed statutory guidance, enhance partnership working, and make a positive contribution to the debate around who lives in social housing.