Allocation Policy: Consultation

Under our current Allocation Policy, care leavers are not given any additional priority. For example, applicants who are seeking to move on from supported accommodation may be assessed as priority band D, for sharing facilities (bathroom, kitchen, etc) with other residents within their housing scheme. 

Section 4.10 of the Government's guidance on the Allocation of Accommodation, recommends that local authorities provide a secure base from which a care leaver, or a person who is moving on from a drug or alcohol recovery programme, can build a stable life.

Our Allocation Policy could achieve this by assessing care leavers as priority band B, for having a high need for re-housing on social or welfare grounds, or band C, for having a medium need for re-housing on social or welfare grounds. 

The current Allocation Policy states:

"Band C: Medium housing need 10-15 medical points 

The housing situation is seriously affecting the applicant’s health and wellbeing and is having an  unacceptable impact on their ability to live independently. 

Alternative housing is required to prevent a significant and serious deterioration to their health and  wellbeing in the short/ medium term (within 2 years)."

This is misleading as, in the current climate, it is highly unlikely that any applicant in priority band C would be re-housed within 2 years.

Under our current Allocation Policy, bedroom requirements are based on assumptions that a bedroom is suitable for two children of the same sex aged under 16.

Section 4.8 of the Government's guidance on the Allocation of Accommodation, recommends that, as a minimum, the bedroom standard allocates a separate bedroom to each pair of adolescents, aged 10-20 years, of the same sex.  

By increasing the age that we expect two children, of the same sex, to share a bedroom from 16 to 20, we could decrease the demand for three and four-bedroom properties.

Under our current Allocation Policy, criteria for a local connection include the length of time that  the applicant, or a close family member, has lived in the Lancaster district.

Section 4.18 of the Government's guidance on the Allocation of Accommodation, specifies that a person has a local connection because of normal residence (current or previous) of their own choice. Residence is not of a person’s choice if it is the consequence of being detained in prison or in hospital under the Mental Health Act.

Our Allocation Policy could explain this "normal residence" and it could be considered when assessing whether an applicant meets the criteria for a local connection.

Under our current Allocation Policy, one of the qualifying criteria for a local connection is that the applicant is a social housing tenant in another Local Authority area who is needing to move to the  Lancaster district to take up employment or apprenticeship opportunity within the district

Section 3.28 of the Government's guidance on the Allocation of Accommodation, recommends that local authorities should consider the position of people who are moving into the district to take up work.

Our Allocation Policy could achieve this by granting a local connection to ANY applicant who needs to move to the  Lancaster district to take up employment or apprenticeship opportunity within the district - not just those who are a social housing tenant in another Local Authority area. 

Under our current Allocation Policy, the qualifying criteria for a local connection include that the applicant has moved to the Lancaster district to escape violence or harm, or that hey are a victim of domestic abuse who has fled to the Lancaster district.

Section 3.28 of the Government's guidance on the Allocation of Accommodation, recommends that local authorities should consider the position of people who are moving into the district to escape violence.

Our Allocation Policy could achieve this by granting a local connection to applicants who want to move to the  Lancaster district to escape domestic abuse, violence or harm - not just those who applicants who are already in the district, having fled or moved.

Under our current Allocation Policy, one of the criteria for a local connection is that the applicant is serving in the Regular Armed Forces or has served in the previous five years.

At the recent Labour Party Conference, the Prime Minister announced plans to bring forward regulatory changes to prioritise veterans for life. The Deputy PM has written to local councils, telling them to implement this change immediately.

Our  Allocation Policy could achieve this if we removed the five year limit, so any veteran would have a local connection, regardless of how long ago they served.