Decision - Housing Allocations Policy

This report seeks delegated approval to adopt changes to the Council's Housing Allocations Policy – the policy for determining who has priority for social housing in Brighton & Hove and how it is allocated – following a review policy and a 14-week public consultation.

That Cabinet 1) Agree to adopt the changes set out in this report, in summary: i) Change the 'local residency criteria' from 5 years to 5-out-of-7 years (para 4.1 – 4.3); ii) Remove the 'allocation plan queue divisions' (para 4.4 – 4.6); iii) Award 'reasonable preference' to all households with an accepted homeless duty (para 4.7 - 4.9); iv) Award a 'reasonable preference' where homelessness is 'prevented' or 'relieved' (para 4.10-4.12); v) Support applications from joint social housing tenants (para 4.13-4.14); vi) Amend priority awarded to current or former armed forces personnel (para 4.15 – 4.16); vii) Enable 'direct offers' in exceptional circumstances (para 4.17 – 4.18); viii) Remove priority Band A status for households in temporary accommodation, where the property is being returned to the landlord (para 4.19 – 4.20); ix) Award priority Band A status to 'non-statutory successors' for a 6-month time limited period (para 4.21 - 4.24); and x) Permit households with a 4-bed or more need experiencing statutory overcrowding to bid for Brighton & Hove council properties which are one bedroom short of their need, where this would resolve statutory overcrowding (para 4.25 – 4.33). 2) Note these changes in the Allocations Policy (Appendix 1). 3) Note the timescales for full implementation of the revised Allocations Policy by April 2025 (as set out in para 3.5). 4) Agree commencing further consultation and analysis of the impact of a wider cohort of overcrowded households bidding on properties one bedroom less than their households need, where the result would not meet the criteria of statutory overcrowding (para 4.32).

The assessment considers changing the Housing Allocations Policy so households needing four or more bedrooms can bid for and accept three-bedroom properties, provided this does not breach statutory space or room standards. It concludes that the change could reduce overcrowding for larger households but may slightly increase waiting times for households needing three bedrooms, and recommends proceeding with caution.