Lewisham Housing Allocation Scheme Policy Review

Overview

We are proposing some changes to the Housing Allocation Scheme and we want to hear what you think.

An Allocation Scheme is a way of allocating social housing to eligible applicants on the housing register. The process means that once residents on the housing register apply for social housing, the Allocation Scheme then determines who should be prioritised and on what grounds. Our latest Allocation Scheme Policy was set out in April 2017.

The aim of the proposed changes is to improve the policy, making it fairer and more responsive to housing needs in the borough.  

The current Allocation Scheme can be found here:

https://lewisham.gov.uk/-/media/lewisham-housingallocations-policy.ashx

Why we are consulting

The Allocation Scheme affects a wide range of Lewisham's residents, landlords and business owners. There are nearly 10,000 people on the housing register and only around 1,000 properties become available per year.

All local authorities in England must have an Allocation Scheme to determine:

• who is prioritised for social housing
• who is eligible
• how the policy is applied and the procedure for allocating housing accommodation

Your feedback will be used to shape the Allocation Scheme, making sure it works as effectively as possible. 

Your responses will help us to ensure that the finalised Allocation Scheme is fair and responsive to housing need across the borough.

Your feedback will be presented to the Mayor and Cabinet of Lewisham Council as part of the decision-making process.  

Summary of changes     

Further details of the proposed changes will be provided throughout the consultation, but the six, main proposed changes are as below:

1. We will change the banding structure. This will help us to reallocate priority for different rehousing reasons, ensuring that the Allocation Scheme is responsive to housing needs within the borough.  
2. We will modify the 'overcrowded' rehousing reason to ensure that those experiencing the most severe overcrowding are prioritised.
3. We will create a new 'priority homeless with additional need' rehousing reason to ensure that we are able to respond to very specific cases of homelessness across the borough
4. We will ring-fence up to 20% of properties on the register. This will help us to make best use of the available social housing with the resources that we already have
5. We will increase the number of properties an applicant can bid for each week
6. Where applicable, we will reduce the 'Three Offer' Rule for refusing a property to a 'Two Offer' Rule