Housing allocations consultation
Proposal
- Introduction
- Redefining the scheme of allocation
- Self assessment
- Verification
- Local connection and sensitive lettings
- Local lettings plans
- New quota-seeking to get into employment
- Reduced priority
- Financial resources
- Golden transfers
- Have your say
» Return to housing allocations introductory page
Hammersmith and Fulham has one of the most transient populations in Britain, with more than 30,000 people moving into, and the same number moving out of the borough each year. This makes the creation of stable neighbourhoods where people have meaningful long term attachments, difficult to achieve.
Social housing is an important safety net to get people back on their feet but the council believes that, in its current form, social housing has become a destination, driving down aspiration, rather than a spring board into employment, training, education or low cost home ownership.
A recent study showed that between 1981 and 2006 the proportion of social tenant households in paid employment fell from 47 per cent to 32 per cent. Two of the largest estates in Hammersmith and Fulham have just 43 per cent of the working population in employment while the borough wide proportion was much higher at 63 per cent. One of the ways the council intends to drive aspirations up and create a true borough of opportunity is through carefully thought out improvements to the Housing Allocations Scheme.
The council is proposing to make several changes to the allocations scheme and we want to hear your views. We are planning nine improvements, while also ensuring that the allocation procedures do not discriminate on grounds of race, ethnicity, sex or disability. While we are keen to have residents’ views on our proposals we are also legally required to give 'reasonable preference' under our allocations scheme to specific groups. These groups are:
- People who are homeless
- People occupying unsanitary, overcrowded or otherwise unsatisfactory housing
- People who need to move for medical or welfare reasons and
- People who need to move to a particular location e.g. to be nearer to special medical facilities.
Under the Housing Act 1996 councils are also able to give additional preference to particular people who fall within the reasonable preference groups.
The council is proposing nine changes to our housing allocations scheme and we would like to hear your views.
Proposed changes to the scheme of allocation:
1. Redefining the scheme of allocation
There are too many people looking for too few homes in London and particularly in Hammersmith & Fulham. As a result the council is proposing to look at all housing in the borough that is available to us in a complete audit that will include not just social housing, but also shared ownership and private sector housing options to show residents exactly what is available.
In future years the supply of low cost home ownership properties will significantly increase and the private sector is also playing a bigger role in meeting local housing needs. In the council’s view, the extension of the scheme to cover these areas of supply is therefore a logical development. Let us know what you think.
We are proposing to improve the current housing register application form to make it easier for applicants to let us know about their circumstances. We are planning to develop a new self assessment form which will allow us to check details like the benefits the applicant receives and any travel concession they might have. The central re-housing occupational therapist will be responsible for giving their view of the completed assessments and will be a standing member of the Housing Welfare Panel.
It is proposed that a reference will be required from the applicant’s current or previous landlord or from their employer. No such requirement exists at present.
4. Local connection and sensitive lettings
In determining priorities between applicants who are at the top of their band we are proposing to introduce an additional preference for local residents, who have lived in Hammersmith & Fulham for a minimum of five years continuously at the time of applying for re-housing.
An equivalent level of priority will also be given, in exceptional circumstances, to people who cannot meet the five year rule but who can demonstrate an essential need to live in the borough on health or welfare grounds.
There are parts of the borough which, at one time or another, may have particular problems with crime and anti-social behaviour. It is proposed to introduce sensitive lettings policies in such areas to try to reduce these problems. This will usually mean restrictions on letting properties to people who have criminal records or are known for anti-social behaviour.
It is proposed to introduce local lettings policies for specific new housing developments. The objectives of these schemes are:
- To encourage residents to develop lasting connections with the area
- To establish mixed and sustainable communities
- To reduce overcrowding
Where there is a need to give priority to a particular type of applicant – such as people in employment or vocational education or training, or where their household is a certain size – these properties will be advertised in choice based lettings but bidding will be restricted to these applicants. Applicants will then be short-listed in the normal way, according to their banding.
Wheelchair adapted homes are likely to be excluded from these letting restrictions and will be allocated as normal.
6. New quota-seeking to get into employment
The council is proposing to provide a fixed number of new lettings each year for people who have taken part in specific council supported programmes to get back into training or employment.
As a borough of opportunity, Hammersmith & Fulham wants to support people who are in education or training in a bid to get back to work. Providing social housing with sub-market rents can help sustain these households and allow people to continue their education.
The current policy allows the council to remove a person from the housing register where either the applicant or a member of their household has been guilty of unacceptable behaviour that would make them an unsuitable tenant.
This proposal seeks to extend that policy so that we permit them to join the register but downgrade their priority where there is clear evidence that their behaviour would entitle the authority to a possession order. The most significant grounds for possession are:
- Rent has not been paid;
- Tenancy obligation has been breached;
- The tenant’s conduct is a nuisance or annoyance;
- The tenant has been convicted for using the property for illegal purposes or a conviction for an indictable offence committed in, or in the locality of, the dwelling-house.
It is proposed that these persons be moved into Band D for 12 months and that each case will be considered individually, with a clear appeals process in place.
The reduced priority policy will be a new and potentially useful tool to address antisocial or criminal behaviour.
It is proposed that lower priority is given to any person with a net income in excess of £40,000 per annum or who has assets, savings or a property with a net value greater than £60,000. The council will work pro-actively to encourage these people to take up low cost home ownership in the borough.
The council will give preference to re-housing tenants wishing to transfer via H&F Homes who:
- Have a clean rent account for the last year;
- Have not breached the terms of their tenancy agreement over the last two years;
- Have no current anti-social behaviour orders against them.
We want to know your views on these proposals. Please let us know what you think by post to Owen Ramsay, Project Manager, Housing Options Division, London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, 4th Floor, Housing Centre, 77 Glenthorne Road, London W6 0LJ or by email to allocationschemeconsultation@lbhf.gov.uk by 30 May 2008.
