Priority to receive Peterborough social housing set to change

The city council is looking to update its current Housing Allocations policy which could see the number of priority bands reduced from five to three.

Currently, there are 4,988 people on the housing register.

Of those, 359 are in the highest priority band (known as Band 1), while 3,458 are in Band 2.

The smallest figure is for Band 5 (173).

Ahead of a consultation into changing its policy, the council said in a new report that it is proposing to give high priority to people who are made homeless despite working with the authority to prevent losing their property.

Residents who do not utilise the council’s help would be downgraded into a lower band if they later became homeless.

Under its proposals, the council’s new Housing Allocations policy would:

. Seek to support and encourage people into employment, potentially by “providing an uplift in time for those households who are working”

. Drop a person from the highest priority need if they refuse a “reasonable offer” or fail to view a property without explanation

. Suspend the applications of people in Bands 2 or 3 for a year if they if refuse two properties which are “reasonable for them to accept” or fail to attend two viewings without explanation

. Award additional time in bands for Armed Forces personnel

. Amend the income threshold for being eligible for accommodation from a fixed to a sliding scale

. Potentially alter the disqualification criteria for people subject to an anti-social behaviour injunction or who are in rent arrears

. Prioritise families with children under the age of 18 rather than 18 or over

. Only verify people once they are shortlisted for a property rather than before, to save time, as currently “once an application is assessed it is often several years before they reach a position where they will shortlist for a property. At this point their circumstances are likely to have changed from the time that they registered”

. Remove the Social and Welfare ground category. Instead, people in temporary accommodation and in financial difficulties would be considered through different means, while those in supported accommodation or suffering violence/harassment would go into Band 2.

Proposed Band 1

For those with an extremely urgent need to move on. Examples would include:

. Those with an over-riding medical need

. Those with several housing needs where they fall into a number of high priority categories

. Tenants who need to move urgently as they are at risk if they remain in their current property.

The council said: “Those in this band would be very few and we would expect that they would be re-housed very quickly.

“Those in this band would be made one reasonable offer of accommodation.

“Applications would be reviewed after six months to determine whether they still needed this priority or could be closed or moved to Band 2.”

Proposed Band 2

For those with a high need of re-housing. Examples would include:

. Those who agree to work with the council to try and prevent their homelessness

. Those who have been accepted at the supported Accommodation Pathway panel (see below)

. Those who are under-occupying a property with a registered social landlord or severely over-occupying their current accommodation

. Those judged to have a high medical need after assessment by the council’s occupational therapists.

Proposed Band 3

For all other applications. Examples would include:

. Those who are adequately housed (who would only be considered for sheltered accommodation)

. Those who do not have a local connection (who would only be considered for sheltered accommodation)

. Those who have enough financial resources or are homeowners (who would only be considered for sheltered accommodation)

. Those who have a low medical need after assessment by the council’s occupational therapists

. Those who have failed to prevent their homelessness or work with the council to do so.

Supported Accommodation Pathway

The council report states that during the pandemic it became “clear that there were a proportion of people who were stuck in supported accommodation who did not need the support that it offered”.

A Supported Accommodation Panel meeting every fortnight was created where social housing providers refer individuals who are ready to move on.

The council now wants to give high priority for an urgent move to those deemed by the panel to being suitable for social housing which would “then enable us to ensure a clear pathway of accommodation for single, homeless people in Peterborough”.

Amending the Income Threshold

Currently, the Allocations Policy states than an applicant will not be eligible for social housing if their household’s gross income is in excess of £40,200 a year, or they have savings or assets worth more than £16,000.

It is proposed that the income threshold is based on a sliding scale which considers bedroom need. For instance:

. One bedroom accommodation - £30,000

. Two bedroom accommodation - £40,000

. Three bedroom accommodation or larger - £50,000

Consultation

The council has pledged to “embark on a very thorough consultation process”.

It added: “Our proposals so far have come together from looking at allocations policies which have been suggested to us by our Housing, Advice and Strategy Team adviser from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.”