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Text only accessible version
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Review of South Gloucestershire Council’s HomeChoice Lettings
Policy & Procedure |
Consultation Questionnaire |
Last year, the Government issued new guidance for local authorities in England covering the way that social housing is allocated. As a result of this guidance, South Gloucestershire Council is now reviewing its Lettings Policy and aims to have a new one in place by summer 2014.
Some of the guidance is mandatory, that is, the Council must implement it, however, most of the changes are optional and it is up to the Local Authority to decide whether to make a change based on local circumstances. In certain cases, our policy already reflects the new guidance, so no change is necessary. A copy of the guidance can be found at, www.gov.uk |
So far, we have reviewed the guidance to consider the changes we could make. We have examined the households on HomeChoice and the properties that have been let. In particular, we have looked at who these properties have gone to. Following this work, we have taken a report council.southglos.gov.uk/documents/s41804/housing%20allocations.pdfto Members setting out the possible changes we could make.
From this, Members have agreed a set of changes for consultation. |
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We are now asking for your opinion on the changes that we are considering. In certain cases, we do not think we should make a change, so we would also welcome your views on this. Please give your views through this questionnaire. As you will see, we have set out each proposal and in certain cases, we have included some background information, which you might find useful before you answer. |
Ex-Services Personnel
Issue
In November 2012, the Government issued legislation, which states that Councils must give a higher priority to ex-services personnel applying for social housing, who have an urgent housing need and fall within one of the following categories:
a) In the regular forces and suffering from a serious injury, illness or disability linked to their service.
b) Has served in the regular forces.
c) Has recently ceased, or will cease to be entitled, to reside in accommodation provided by the Ministry of Defence following the death of a spouse or civil partner who has served in the regular forces and whose death was linked to that service.
d) Is serving/has served in the reserve forces and is suffering from a serious injury, illness or disability linked to their service. |
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1. |
Proposal
Award a priority card where the household meets the criteria above.
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the Councils proposal? |
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2. |
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Existing Social Housing Tenants - ‘Non Priority’ Transfers
Issue
New applicants and current social housing tenants are assessed against the same criteria. This means that it is difficult for existing tenants, who are adequately housed to move, as priority will be given to the household in the most urgent need. Councils now have the power to set up a separate register for existing social housing tenants and adopt a separate set of criteria to assess those tenants. |
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3. |
Proposal
The Council does not wish to adopt a separate tenant transfer scheme.
It is open to tenants to continue to apply to HomeChoice. Alternatively, tenants can apply for a mutual exchange, which means they can swap their home with another social housing tenant.
In some cases, Housing Associations have their own policies which can help tenant’s secure alternative accommodation.
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the Councils proposal? |
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4. |
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Qualification Criteria - Local Connection
Issue
The Council operates an ‘open’ register, which means that there are no restrictions on who can apply. This means that people who have never lived in the district, or have no connection to South Gloucestershire, can apply to HomeChoice.
Proposal
To apply a qualification criteria based on one of the two options listed below. An application will not be accepted onto HomeChoice if someone does not meet the qualification criteria. |
Common qualification criteria to both options
• They have a permanent job in South Gloucestershire.
• They have a connection with South Gloucestershire for some other special reason, e.g. they receive specialist medical treatment in South Gloucestershire which they cannot receive elsewhere.
• They have a local connection with another area only but someone in their household might experience domestic violence if they return there.
• They have no local connection with any part of the UK - for example, if they have recently come here from another country.
If a Household does not have a local connection to the district they will be disqualified from applying to the housing register. This qualification criteria does not apply to members of the regular armed forces, their bereaved spouses and civil partners and seriously injured reservists. |
Option 1
• They have lived in South Gloucestershire for the last two years continuously.
• They have a close relative (parent, adult child, brother or sister) who has lived in South Gloucestershire for the past five years.
Option 2
• They are currently living in South Gloucestershire
• They have a close relative (parent, adult child, brother or sister) living in South Gloucestershire. |
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5. |
Proposal
To apply a qualification criteria based on one of the two options listed below. An application will not be accepted onto HomeChoice if someone does not meet the qualification criteria.
Please tick the option you think we should adopt |
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6. |
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Qualification Criteria - Owner Occupiers
Issue
To consider whether owner occupiers should be excluded from HomeChoice.
Background Information
An analysis of households under 60applying to HomeChoice shows that,
• One third of applicants are identified as having affordability problems, including mortgage arrears.
• One third are applying due to a relationship breakdown, including applicants fleeing domestic violence.
This shows that the housing register is a useful tool in identifying owner occupiers who are threatened with homelessness. Identifying this group at an early stage increases the chance of preventing them from becoming homeless. |
An analysis of lets to registered applicants during 2012/13 showed that 34 properties were let to owner occupiers, the majority to older people, who needed specialist supported accommodation including extra care housing.
Instead of excluding this group, it would be more appropriate to include an assessment of someone’s financial capability as part of any housing assessment. In this way, the Council can ensure that housing goes to those households in the most urgent need where other housing options may not be available. |
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7. |
Proposal
To keep owners occupiers as a qualifying group.
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the Councils proposal? |
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8. |
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Qualification Criteria - Anti-Social Behaviour
Issue
To consider whether people guilty of anti-social behaviour should be excluded from HomeChoice.
Background Information
Housing Associations take up landlord references when considering applicants for a vacancy. This means they will know if a tenant has been guilty of anti-social behaviour and it is open to them to refuse to accommodate a household on these grounds. |
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9. |
Proposal
To keep people guilty of anti-social behaviour as a qualifying group.
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the Councils proposal? |
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10. |
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Additional Priority Based on Employment
Issue
To consider whether additional priority should be given to applicants in employment.
Background Information
During 2012/13, 38% of lets went to people in employment and 23% went to people on job seekers allowance, ie applicants actively seeking work. Based on this information, it does not appear that there is any barrier to this group successfully bidding for properties through HomeChoice.
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11. |
Proposal
Additional priority should not be given to households in employment.
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the Councils proposal? |
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12. |
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Additional Priority Based on Good Behaviour
Issue
To consider whether additional priority should be given to applicants, who are social housing tenants, in recognition of good behaviour in their tenancy.
Background Information
It is already open to Housing Associations to reward good behaviour within their own internal transfer policies. As the Council would have to rely on information supplied by Housing Associations to keep an application up to date, it would be sensible that this process is managed internally by each landlord. |
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13. |
Proposal
Additional priority should not be given to households in recognition of good behaviour.
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the Councils proposal? |
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14. |
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Additional Priority for Households Approved for Adoption
Issue
Band A is awarded to households approved by South Gloucestershire Council’s Family Placement Team to provide long term foster care, who do not have a large enough property. This does not cover households approved for adoption. |
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15. |
Proposal
To extend the existing banding criteria to include adoption.
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the Councils proposal? |
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16. |
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HomeChoice West
Issues
South Gloucestershire Council takes part in a sub-regional mobility scheme called HomeChoice West. Two of the West of England authorities (North Somerset and BANES) have amended their re-housing policies to disqualify applicants from their housing register, who have no local connection to their district. They have also decided to withdraw from HomeChoice West. This means that HomeChoice West cannot continue in its current format. |
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17. |
Proposal
To withdraw from HomeChoice West.
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the Councils proposal? |
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18. |
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Bedroom Eligibility
Issues
To change the rules on the number of bedrooms that a household is eligible for, so that it matches housing benefit regulations.
Background Information
The Council’s Lettings policy currently states that:
• A family member is not entitled to their own bedroom until they turn 18.
• Limited under-occupation is allowed for families in the following rural areas:
Acton Turville, Aust, Badminton, Cromhall, Dodington, Doynton, Hawkesbury Upton, Hinton, Horton, Iron Acton, Marshfield, Old Sodbury, Pucklechurch, Rangeworthy, Tormarton, Tytherington, Wapley, Westerleigh, Wick, Wickwar. |
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19. |
Proposal
·To reduce the age that someone qualifies for their own bedroom from 18 to 16.
·To stop households from under occupying properties in rural areas.
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the Councils proposals? |
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20. |
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Financial Capability Assessment
Issue
An assessment of someone’s priority on HomeChoice includes an assessment of their financial capability. In this way, the Council can ensure that housing goes to those households in the most urgent need where other housing options may not be available. |
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21. |
Proposal
Those who have sufficient financial resources in order to access market housing, ie those applicants who through a combination of income, equity and savings are not eligible to receive housing benefit (with the exception of households in receipt of working tax credit where they have no savings or equity) would be restricted to the Registered Applicant category on Homechoice.
How strongly do you agree or disagree with the Councils proposals? |
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22. |
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Homeless Households
Issue
Where the Council has accepted a statutory duty to house a homeless household, they will be made a direct offer of permanent housing after six months if they have not already bid successfully for a property, or they have not been made an offer of accommodation in the private rented sector. |
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23. |
Proposal
Option 1
Reduce the time before someone is made a direct offer of accommodation from six to four months.
Option 2
Make a household a direct offer of accommodation if they fail to bid for three suitable properties advertised on HomeChoice.
Which do you think the council should adopt?
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24. |
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Please answer the following optional questions about yourself. The information you supply will help us to analyse the results of this consultation and to ensure that we understand the views of different people. Responses to these questions will remain confidential. Individuals will not be identified and personal details will not be published.
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25. |
Are you responding as: |
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Any personal information that you have supplied will be held by South Gloucestershire Council in accordance with the Data Protection Act.
This information will only be used as part of this exercise and will not be passed on to any other organisation. |
Thank you for telling us your views. Please press the submit button below to send us your response. |
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