Issue - meetings

Purpose of Report

To seek approval for proposed amendments to the Choice Based Lettings Allocations Policy.

Decision

That the Executive endorses the proposed changes to the Choice Based Lettings Allocations Policy.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected

None.

Reason for Decision

The Choice Based Lettings Allocations Policy was considered by the Executive in January 2015 and a full review of the Policy was proposed for the summer of 2018.

The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 had been enacted and provisions would become operable from April 2018, which required one change to be made to the Allocations Policy now. In addition, it was proposed to make five other changes to the policy at the same time on the basis that the Choice Based Lettings IT software was currently being upgraded.

A copy of the existing Choice Based Lettings Allocation Policy was appended to the report. Proposed changes to this Policy included:

·         a change to the Lincs Homefinder Partnership’s membership, removing West Lindsey District Council following its decision to withdraw and procure its own Choice Based Lettings system;

·         minimum age to apply for accommodation, clarifying that applicants must be aged 18 or over to apply for accommodation unless there was a statutory duty to accommodate or assist a person aged 16/17;

·         direct lets to statutory homeless households, with the Council no longer allowing statutory homeless households to bid for accommodation. Instead, the Council would make a direct match of suitable accommodation more quickly, moving vulnerable people and families out of temporary accommodation into settled accommodation;

·         homeless relief duty, which was now owed to those who were assessed as likely to become homeless within 56 days. It was proposed that such assessed applications were placed in Band 2 of the allocations criteria;

·         introduction of a transfer quota, meaning that 25% of general housing would be advertised with a preference to City of Lincoln tenants requiring a transfer to more suitable accommodation;

·         refusals and non-bidding – with regard to refusals it was proposed that, following two unreasonable refusals, an application would be moved to Band 4 for a period of six months and at the end of the six month period their application would be reconsidered. In terms of non-bidding, the Council would reserve the right to remove an applicant from the waiting list if no bids were placed during a twelve month period when suitable properties had been advertised.

With regard to direct lets and statutory homeless households, a question was raised as to whether there was any evidence to confirm that some applicants did not place bids on suitable properties. It was noted that the Choice Based Lettings system was an online system that required registration and could be monitored to ascertain whether bids had been made.

Clarity was sought as to what would constitute an ‘unreasonable’ refusal. It was reported that this would be clarified in the Policy itself but an example was given of school provision or local ties that would need to be taken into consideration. There were also circumstances whereby  ...  view the full minutes text for item 107