Issue - meetings

Housing Services – (C-046-2021-22) - Cabinet is asked to agree the revised Housing Allocations Scheme for 2022- 2027.

(1)        The Cabinet considered and agreed the 5 major changes and 11 minor changes to the current Allocations Scheme contained within this report;

(2)        The Cabinet approved the publication of the proposed revised Housing Allocations Scheme for 2022 – 2027, at Appendix 1 of the report, on 4 April 2022 with an effective date of 12 September 2022

(3)        The Cabinet considered the outcome and approved the publication of the Stage 2 Public Consultation Report on the Allocations Scheme; and

(4)        Agreed that the Allocations Scheme for 2022 -2027 be reviewed in the Council year leading up to 2027.

The Housing Services Portfolio Holder introduced the report. She noted that the Cabinet were being asked to agree that the recommendations set out in this report were included in the revised Housing Allocations Scheme for 2022- 2027.

As a Local Housing Authority, Epping Forest District Council had a statutory duty to publish a Housing Allocations Scheme for determining priorities - and the procedure to be followed - when selecting a household to be offered a tenancy of Council owned accommodation or to be nominated for an offer of housing from another registered provider with stock in the district.

The Council was required to review the scheme at least once every five years.

The current scheme became effective in July 2018 and is due for renewal by April 2022 along with the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, the Tenancy Policy and the overarching Housing Strategy.

A review of all four strategies and policies commenced in May 2021 including a co-ordinated 2-stage statutory consultation exercise.

Councillor Philip was happy with the report but proposed a change to recommendation 4 and would like the policy to be reviewed in the Council year leading up to 2027, as it makes more administrative sense. Councillor H Whitbread agreed that this was a sensible recommendation and was happy to agree it if other members agreed. The amendment was agreed by the Cabinet.

Councillor S Kane said he would like to discuss the likelihood of the influx of refugees in the near future. Councillor H Whitbread said that they were mindful of this and were awaiting the government to approach them.

Councillor Sunger thanked the officers for putting this together and speaking to tenants about the potential to downsize; Councillor H Whitbread also thanked the officers and the tenants who had considered doing this, as it was a major challenge. It was an important piece of work, coupled with our sheltered housing regeneration scheme. We were looking at this with our council house building programme. It was an important thing we were doing but it was not an easy thing.

Councillor Heap welcome the changes, but we needed flexibility when we were assessing cases as he had a medical case he was looking into that seemed to fall in between bands. Council H Whitbread noted they were introducing flexibility into the medical bands to help in cases like this.  If he would let her know the details she would investigate this for him.

Decision:

(1)        The Cabinet considered and agreed the 5 major changes and 11 minor changes to the current Allocations Scheme contained within this report;

(2)        The Cabinet approved the publication of the proposed revised Housing Allocations Scheme for 2022 – 2027, at Appendix 1 of the report, on 4 April 2022 with an effective date of 12 September 2022

(3)        The Cabinet considered the outcome and approved the publication of the Stage 2 Public Consultation Report on the Allocations Scheme; and

(4)        Agreed that the Allocations Scheme for 2022 -2027 be reviewed in the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 118