Decision details

Minor amendments to the Housing Allocations Scheme and allocation quotas

Decision Maker: Head of Strategic Housing

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Purpose:

Purpose:
Amend the existing main and temporary sub-quota in the Housing Allocations Scheme to increase the number of allocations to households on the housing register either at risk of homelessness or owed the main housing duty in order to impact the use and cost of temporary accommodation.

Background:
The Council is experiencing significant pressures on its homelessness services, resulting in elevated use of and longer stays in nightly paid temporary accommodation. This is putting the Councils financial position at risk and is a corporate priority to address. Longer stays in temporary accommodation also put unnecessary strain on households who have no other choice but to remain there while waiting for an offer of housing.

On 21st February 2024 Crawley Borough Council declared a housing emergency, advising that the demand for temporary and settled accommodation was consistently higher than the supply, and that the financial impact was unsustainable for the Council.

Section 5.1.1 of the Housing Allocation Scheme (the Scheme) sets out the main quota that describes how available social housing is to be allocated by banding/applicant type. This section of the Scheme advises that the proportion split of the quota will be reviewed on an annual basis and that if the review concludes that a different proportion split may better achieve the aim of balancing the competing needs of those needing housing (such as homeless households, those in reasonable preference groups), it may be amended for the coming year by the Head of Strategic Housing following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing.

Section 5.1.2 of the Housing Allocation Scheme is the temporary sub-quota that can be enacted for up to six-months at a time. The temporary sub-quota in 5.1.2 is an example and has not been amended to date. Continued increase in demand on the service, a decline in the supply of properties available, and a mismatch of properties to households increasingly means that the quota is limited in its ability to be effective. It is proposed that the temporary sub-quota already set out in the Scheme be updated under delegated authority to better address the pressures on the service.

In addition, other minor amendments to the scheme are required so that care leavers with a strong local connection to West Sussex can qualify to join the housing register and that direct lets can be made to homeless households residing in emergency temporary accommodation when the urgent need arises when owed the “relief” duty under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended).

Decision:

Following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing and in accordance with delegation 7.e of the Divisions Sub-Delegation Scheme, the Head of Strategic Housing approved:
- amendments to the main and temporary sub-quotas and confirmed that they shall take effect on 18/03/2024, including the enactment of the revised temporary sub-quota in section 5.1.2 of the existing Housing Allocation Scheme for a period of up to 6 months
- that care leavers be granted exemption to the local connection criteria under section 2.4.2.1 of the Housing Allocation Scheme
- that section 6 of the Housing Allocation Scheme be amended to allow direct lets to households owed a relief duty residing in temporary accommodation.

Alternative options considered:

A review identified that both the main and temporary sub-quotas are not generating enough turnover within the temporary accommodation portfolio to minimise the use of nightly paid temporary accommodation.

A number of options for amending the temporary sub-quota in section 5.1.2 of the Housing Allocations Scheme were evaluated prior to this decision including a minor amendment to the main quota in section 5.1.1.

Publication date: 12/03/2024

Date of decision: 15/02/2024