Issue - meetings

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

The Cabinet considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People) that detailed the Council’s review of the social housing Allocations Policy and recommended changes to enable the city to best meet housing need within a backdrop of reduced turnover of Registered Provider (RP) stock. Coventry Homefinder was the Choice Based Letting system by which the majority of social housing in Coventry was allocated. Appendices to the report provided the Draft Coventry Homefinder Policy 2020, the Consultation Statement, the Equality and Consultation Analysis (parts 1 and 2) and the current and proposed banding system.

The Council committed to reviewing the Policy within the City’s Housing and Homelessness Strategy 2019-2024. The revised Housing Allocations Policy was a key tool to support the delivery of the Housing and Homelessness Strategy. The last review of the Coventry Homefinder Policy was undertaken in 2014, with minor amendments in 2018 as a result of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017.

The Council no longer owned any housing following the large-scale voluntary transfer of all the former Council housing to Whitefriars Housing Group (now Citizen) in September 2000. However, the Local Authority was legally required to have a scheme that allocated social housing, with the aim was that those with the greatest need for housing were prioritised.

The report provided the context and evidence as to why the Allocations Policy needed to be reviewed, looking at how the turnover of social housing had reduced within a backdrop of increasing demand for affordable housing in the City.

The fundamental review undertaken (June 2019 to October 2019) had resulted in a new allocations scheme being developed and consulted upon. The key changes included:

•  Changing how people apply for housing.

•  Changing who can apply for housing (qualification criteria).

•  Changing the Banding System (reasonable preference criteria) including the introduction of a reduced preference band.

•  Reducing the number of refused offers allowed under the Policy.

•  Changing how adapted properties are advertised and allocated.

A statutory and public consultation survey on the above proposals took place between 11th November 2019 and 3rd January 2020. 

RESOLVED that the Cabinet:

1)  Notes that the Communities and Neighbourhoods Scrutiny Board (4) noted, welcomed and were supportive of the proposed changes to the Coventry Homefinder Policy and the consultation being undertaken.

2)  Notes the equality and consultation analysis and consultation responses received regarding proposals to change the Coventry Homefinder Policy (Housing Allocations Policy) and the summary report provided at Appendices B and C to the report.

3)  Approves a revised Coventry Homefinder Policy, attached as Appendix A to the report, with effect from Autumn 2020.