Amendment to Allocation Policy Survey

Households fleeing domestic abuse

Currently, households fleeing domestic abuse, who have made a homeless application to another local authority are not able to join the Redbridge housing register because they are owed a duty by the local authority they have approached. 

But sometimes that local authority places the household in TA within Redbridge. In these circumstances we are proposing to allow those households to join the Redbridge housing register. Do you:

If these households are allowed to join the Redbridge housing register, we are proposing that they have a lower banding than households fleeing domestic abuse who have made a direct homeless approach to Redbridge. This is because households fleeing domestic abuse who have made a direct homeless approach to Redbridge would only be able to bid on properties within Redbridge.

However, households fleeing domestic abuse who have made a homeless approach to another local authority would have a reasonable preference to bid for social housing within that local authority areas as well as properties in Redbridge. In terms of giving these households a lower priority banding, do you: 

Care Leavers

Redbridge already offers a 'reasonable preference' to adults who have been looked after as children by the council. 

However, if approached by a care leaver who was previously looked after by another local authority, then we're required to allow them to join the housing register too. 

We are proposing that care leavers who have been looked after by another local authority would have a lower banding than care leavers who have been looked after by Redbridge. Do you:

Homeless households in Temporary Accommodation (TA) remaining on the housing register if they find private rented accommodation

Currently if a homeless household living in temporary accommodation finds alternative accommodation in the private rented sector, then they no longer qualify for the housing register because they are deemed 'adequately housed'. 

We are proposing changing this, because it can perversely incentivise people to remain in temporary accommodation. If a homeless household finds somewhere to live in the private rented sector rather than being in temporary accommodation, we believe they shouldn't have to lose their place on the housing register as a result. Do you:

Renaming the banding categories

Currently, the banding categories on the housing register are Band 1, Band 2, Band 3 and Band 4. However, this can sometimes cause confusion with households living in temporary accommodation who want to transfer, as they are also prioritised by the description Band 1, Band 2 and Band 3. 

We are therefore proposing renaming the banding on the housing register to Band A, Band B, Band C and Band D. In terms of this suggestion, do you:

What the banding categories represent

If the new naming system for bandings is adopted, we are proposing that Band A represents households with a 'reasonable preference' who are made the most offers of social housing.

Band B would then represent those households with a 'reasonable preference' who are made the second most offers of social housing; and Band C those households with a 'reasonable preference' who are made the least offers of social housing.

Band D would be other qualifying households who do not have a 'reasonable preference'. In terms of this renaming of the bandings, do you:

Removing the Annual Lettings Plan

Currently, we apply an 'Annual Lettings Plan', which determines the proportion of properties that are let to 'homeseeker', 'transfer' and 'homeless' applicants. 

However, we believe this can cause confusion and can create a lack of transparency. Instead, we are proposing removing the Annual Lettings Plan altogether, so that nominations are purely determined by banding and waiting time. Do you:

Increasing the income level required to qualify for the housing register

 Currently, households do not qualify for the housing register if their income exceeds £49k per year. However, there have been cases where people who are working to support their families; who are caring for members of their families or who are in receipt of higher payments because of a disability, have not qualified for the housing register because of this limit. 

In some instances people have felt they have had to give up work in order to join the housing register. We are proposing retaining the £49k pa limit for single people and childless couples, but increasing the limit to £79k pa for families. Do you: