Local Lettings Policies

David Vincent made this Freedom of Information request to Cambridge City Council

The request was partially successful.

From: David Vincent

19 April 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

a) Please send me details of all areas, districts or developments
of public housing in the City of Cambridge (or outside the City but
subject to nomination agreements with Cambridge City Council) which
are subject to "local lettings" policies (a statement which
frequently appears in advertisements in the HomeLink magazine);

b) Please send me details of the full policy in relation to each of
these areas, districts or developments;

c) Please set out the process (or processes) by which a local
lettings policy is proposed, discussed and agreed;

d) Please give details of any local lettings policies which are
currently being proposed or discussed, but have not yet been
agreed.

Thank you for help.

Yours faithfully,

David Vincent

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From: David Vincent

23 May 2009

Dear Sir or Madam,

I have not yet had a response to my request of 19 April 2009 under
the Freedom of Information Act for information on "local lettings
policies". That response is now over due.

In case there is any confusion over the information I am requesting
(which does seem unlikely), may I clarify that by "local lettings"
policies I am referring to the policies described in the following
paragraph of the City Council's Letting Policy Document, as
published on the Council's website.

"5.18 Area specific policies

5.18.1 Area specific policies also known as local lettings policies
and are used in specific areas within the sub region to help create
balanced and sustainable communities. Where an area specific policy
applies, it will be stated in the property label. Details of area
specific policies in place will be clearly stated on the property
label."

Of course, if details of the policies in place were, indeed, stated
fully and clearly on the property label(s), there might have been
less need for me to ask for the information I have requested.

I look forward to a response to the request with no further delay.

Thank you for your help.

Yours sincerely,

David Vincent

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From: Sue Simms
Cambridge City Council

27 May 2009

Attachment LOCAL LETTINGS POLICY May 09.doc
37K Download View as HTML

Attachment Cambourne Nominations draftdecember2008.doc
33K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Vincent

Firstly let me apologise for not coming back to you in the agreed time we were in fact in the process of updating our local lettings policy and felt that you needed to be sent the most relevant one. I have attached copies of the documents you have requested which are the local letting policies for the City and the policy for the current new build at Cambourne. With regard to other local lettings policies that are mentioned in the Home-Link magazine these will in the main be 106 sites and or rural connection sites for these documents you will need to contact the Housing Association and or Parish Council direct.

Where we are building a new site in partnership such as Cambourne we will agree a lettings policy for the initial lettings of the development which will ensure that it is sustainable. These agreements come about from all partners concerned agreeing a lettings policy to work with for that phase of the new build.

The local lettings policies for Cambridge City Council come about as the area manager alerts us to an ongoing problem in an area. They must then present the case for a local lettings policy to The Senior Officer Review Panel. The policy will be time limited and if an extension is required the officer must put the request back to the panel with relevant information.

At this time we are not in discussion with regard to setting up any other Local lettings Polices.

Regards
Sue Simms
Choice Base Lettings Team Leader
Cambridge City Council
01223 457976

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From: David Vincent

27 May 2009

Dear Ms Simms,

Thanks very much for the response so far.

I note the local lettings policy you have sent me in respect of the
City Council was approved yesterday (26 May 2009).

It would be helpful if I could also have a copy of all the policies
that have applied from the inception of the new scheme up until 26
May 2009.

I assume that at the time of the original request I made the one
you have sent me would have fallen under the category of those
under discussion but not yet approved.

I also note what you say about the other policies.

I have not yet contacted South Cambridgeshire or the other
authorities that take part in the HomeLink partnership. I assume
they will provide me with details of the rural policies etc,
although these do seem relatively clear from the adverts (eg they
state that preference will be given to those with connection to the
village or other area).

My principal concern is that the simple statement "local letting
policy applies" without any gloss or explanation may be used to
conceal prejudice, favouritism or other abuses of the Council's
publicly advertised letting policy.

It is my assumption that any property advertised in the Cambridge
City Council section of the magazine is subject to that publicly
advertised policy and that your partner housing associations have
agreed to abide by it. Can you confirm that is the case?

Many thanks.

Yours sincerely,

David Vincent

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From: Sue Simms
Cambridge City Council

8 June 2009

Attachment LOCAL LETTINGS POLICY 2008.doc
31K Download View as HTML

Attachment Arbury Park noms agreement 2007.doc
50K Download View as HTML

Dear Mr Vincent

I have attached the previous policy CCC Local Letting Policy and another external one that spanned over the move to CBL which was for Arbury Park now known as Orchard Park.

I have replied further down to your other queries in Bold. I should also advise that we are undertaking a review of the age restriction process for our general need property which should be in place within the next four cycles. We will also advise applicants that they can contact us for more details about any local lettings policy and we will be asking for this to be put onto the councils web site which will allow people more access.

Regards
Sue Simms
Choice Base Lettings Team Leader
Cambridge City Council
01223 457976

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From: Sue Simms
Cambridge City Council

19 June 2009

Dear Mr Vincent

As requested please find the reply to your questions in bold The ages are set to report differently on the system to the ones you have requested and therefore I have given you the information that we hold.

Firstly, please let me have the following information:

a) The number of one bedroom properties (other than sheltered
properties) advertised for bidding by Cambridge City Council under
the Home-Link Choiced Based Lettings scheme since that scheme's
inception;

For Cambridge City 278 excluding sheltered

b) The number of those one-bedroom properties which have been
advertised as subject to a minimum age restriction for prospective
tenants; =73

c) A breakdown of the number of those advertised age restrictions
into the numbers falling into each of the relevant 5 year age
brackets from 15 to 65 (eg 25+, 40+, 55+, 60+ etc - those
particular examples being merely illustrative, not exhaustive,
although drawn from advertised restrictions in Issue 33 of the
Home-Link magazine);

25-30= 3 40 and over= 8 50 and over= 8 55 and over= 54 It should be noted that 60 and over is for sheltered property not asked for.

d) Details of the characteristics by which the Council decides
whether a particular available property has been "designed for
people of this age or above" when setting the age restriction, if
any, on that particular policy;

Some of our properties are in areas that are predominately elderly so we will consider if an age restriction needs to be applied to any vacant properties. We will also state on ground floor properties that preference will be given to those needing ground floor due to health and age.If the properties also have adaptations consideration will be given to those that have a need for the adaptation.

e) Details of which officers are empowered to make such decisions
on behalf of the Council in respect of any particular property,
prior to its being advertised, and what audit processes are in
place to ensure that those decisions are made in line with Council
policy and procedures.

In the first instance the property will be entered as a property with no age limit if it is ground floor or adapted the wording will be as above. If there are concerns about the previous tenant ie eviction because of nuisance ie drugs drink and or noise it may be considered that to bring back some order to that block that we should try for a more mature tenant. Note we would not create a local lettings policy for these one off occasions.

The audit of this process will be City Homes Team will enter the advert it is then checked by the CBL team and queried if unreasonable and I as the manager will check the final ads before we go to print taking account of our lettings policy.

Where there is a restriction we will have followed up with the housing officer the reasons for the request for a restriction. It should also be noted that the age restriction for bungalow's which is 55 is to encourage tenants who are in family size properties to move. We will of course also give consideration to those applicants who may be younger but have a need for any disabled adaptations which may be in place.

Secondly, please also provide me with details of:

a) the number of single applicants registered for housing with
Cambridge City Council, broken down into the following age groups :
under 18; 18-20; 21-25; 26-30; 31-35; 36-40; 41-45; 46-50; 51-55;
56-60; 61-65; over 65;

under 25 = 753 25-29 = 686 30-39 = 1071 40-49 = 722 50-54 = 232 55-59 = 199

60-64 = 173 65 and over = 578

b) the number of couples registered for housing with the Council
and regarded as eligible for one bedroom accommodation only, broken
down into the same age groups as above, using the age of the "lead
applicant" or "head of household".

Under 25 = 757 25-29 = 686 30-39 = 1073 40-49=725 50-54 = 232 60-64 = 173 65+ =578

Regards
Sue Simms
Choice Base Lettings Team Leader
Cambridge City Council
01223 457976

Regards
Sue Simms
Choice Base Lettings Team Leader
Cambridge City Council
01223 457976

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From: David Vincent

30 June 2009

Dear Ms Simms,

Thank you for your reply on Age Restrictions. I will see if I can
correct the site so that it links to the correct reply. At present
it shows that you have not responded.

I am sure you recognise the difference between stating in an
advertisement that preference will be given to those requiring
ground floor \ adaptations and a blanket exclusion based on age. I
do not believe your allocations policy allows you to operate the
latter.

I think there is little or no justification for an assumption that
a person of one age or another is more likely to be anti-social,
drink or take drugs or even be noisy. It would be equally valid to
suggest that men are more likely to be noisy than women, but your
allocations policy would not permit you to discriminate on this
basis. Nor should it allow you to do so on the basis of age
stereotypes.

As your figures show, the bulk of your applicants are younger
people, yet you are weighting your allocation process against them.

I appreciate that your policy does not permit you to operate a
policy of subjective "sensitive" lettings in relation to individual
properties. However, that is obviously what the Council is trying
to do through some back-door method. I would suggest that if you
feel you need that provision, you must amend your policy and, if
necessary, allocate those properties outside the choice based
system.

However, I would be very worried if you felt that a quarter of your
one-bedroom lettings needed to be subject to such an approach. Even
7% (19 of 278) seems higher than ought to be necessary.

Incidentally, I assume the response at point (b) of the breakdown
of applicants is an error, since it seems pretty much a duplication
of the answer to (a), with a couple of small variations.

Yours sincerely,

David Vincent

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From: Sue Simms
Cambridge City Council

30 June 2009

I am on Leave until the 30th June please contact my team on 01223 457917 or my manager David Greening on 01223 457997

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