Issue - meetings

The Housing Strategy and Enabling Team Leader presented the Council Housing Allocations Policy 2018 Update report.  Members were advised that the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 placed new duties on the Council leading to the need to update the policy.  Changes included treating those that the Council recognised as being unintentionally homeless as gold band rather than silver priorities. The adapted policy would also enable couples with a child aged under two to apply for both one and two bedroom properties, whereas in the past they had only been eligible to apply for one bedroom properties.

The potential for the position of kinship carers to be taken into account within the policy was briefly debated.  It was noted that kinship carers, who were related to the person they cared for, were in a different position to foster carers and were more likely to continue to live with and care for their relative.  Officers undertook to check the position with regard to kinship carers prior to full Council on 19^th March 2018.

RECOMMENDED that

the revised Housing Allocations Policy 2018 (appendix 1) be adopted and;

RESOLVED that

authority be delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director for Leisure, Environment & Community Services in conjunction with the Legal Service Manager, following consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing, to make any future amendments to the Council’s Housing Allocations Policy that are deemed to be necessary and which do not trigger the statutory obligation to consult the persons affected by the changes pursuant to section 168(3) of the Housing Act 1996.