Update Housing Regulations on housing allocations

Dear Ann Brown

FOI Acknowledgement

Thank you for your FOI Request, as below. Please quote our ref 122941 in
any further correspondence about this request.

We anticipate responding within the statutory period of 20 working days
following the date of receipt, in this case by 11/01/10.

We are also still considering your recent previous request (our ref =
122915, your ref = [email address]).

Thank you for your interest in Lambeth Council.

Richard Gardner

Information Compliance Adviser

London Borough of Lambeth

ICT Services

Finance & Resources

tel: 020 79267741

www.lambeth.gov.uk

3rd Floor, Ivor House, 1 Acre Lane, London, SW2 5SD

Lambeth - Making a difference

show quoted sections

Dear Ms Brown,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information request. You have asked:

1. What plans do we have in place to comply with the Government's
new guidance on allocating social housing, including giving local people
and those who have been on the waiting list a long time fair priority?

2. When do we plan to update the choice-based lettings website with
information about who we allocate properties to?

We do not envisage that any immediate changes will be required to our
current Housing Allocation Scheme in order to comply with the new
Guidance. We already give local people additional priority for housing,
and give priority based on the amount of time someone has been on the
waiting list, and therefore we do not envisage any immediate changes being
required to address these points.

Information about who we allocate properties to is publically available,
and housing applicants receive direct feedback on the properties they have
bid for, but it is correct that this information is not currently
published on the choice-based lettings website. We plan to update the
information on this website by April 2010.

I trust that this answers your enquiry.

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which your Freedom of Information
request has been dealt with you can request an internal review by
emailing: [email address] (Please quote reference 122941) or by
writing to:

Corporate Complaints Manager
Lambeth Town Hall
Brixton Hill
Brixton
SW2 1RW

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the review you have a
further right to appeal to the Information Commissioner, who regulates the
implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. The Commissioner can be
contacted at the following address:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Enquiry line: 01625 545745

Website: [1]www.ico.gov.uk

Charlie Conyers

Business and Housing Options Development Manager

Housing, Regeneration and Environment

London Borough of Lambeth

phone: 020 7926 4402

e-mail: [email address]

website: [2]http://www.lambeth.gov.uk

3rd Floor

2-7 Town Hall Parade

Brixton Hill

London SW2 1RP

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From: Gardner1,Richard
Sent: 09 December 2009 10:54
To: 'Ann Brown'
Subject: RE: Freedom of Information request - Update Housing Regulations
on housing allocations

Dear Ann Brown

FOI Acknowledgement

Thank you for your FOI Request, as below. Please quote our ref 122941 in
any further correspondence about this request.

We anticipate responding within the statutory period of 20 working days
following the date of receipt, in this case by 11/01/10.

We are also still considering your recent previous request (our ref =
122915, your ref = [email address]).

Thank you for your interest in Lambeth Council.

Richard Gardner

Information Compliance Adviser

London Borough of Lambeth

ICT Services

Finance & Resources

tel: 020 79267741

www.lambeth.gov.uk

3rd Floor, Ivor House, 1 Acre Lane, London, SW2 5SD

Lambeth - Making a difference

show quoted sections

Dear Ann Brown

FOI Acknowledgement

Thank you for your collated further FOI Requests as below which we will
handle as a combined new request. Please quote our ref 123313 in any
further correspondence about this request.

We anticipate responding within the statutory period of 20 working days
following the date of receipt, in this case by 15/01/10.

Thank you for your interest in Lambeth Council.

Richard Gardner

Information Compliance Adviser

London Borough of Lambeth

ICT Services

Finance & Resources

tel: 020 79267741

www.lambeth.gov.uk

3rd Floor, Ivor House, 1 Acre Lane, London, SW2 5SD

Lambeth - Making a difference

show quoted sections

Dear Ms Brown,

Thank you for your Freedom of Information Request. Following on from your
previous request, you have asked us for:

1. Details of where housing allocations information is publically
available
2. Evidence to support our statement that we give additional priority to
local people and those who have been on the waiting list a long time
3. Explanation of how our housing allocation policy is fair, and how it
complies with the new statutory guidance on social housing allocations
4. Evidence through survey or feedback from local residents that the
current system of allocating housing is fair and reflects the
statutory guidance

In answer to these questions:

1. Details of where housing allocations information is publically
available

A recent report to the Housing Scrutiny Sub-Committee on 15^th September
2009 is available here:
[1]http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/moderngov/mgAi...

2. Evidence to support out statement that we give additional
priority to local people and those who have been on the waiting list a
long time

The relative priority between housing applicants is determined by the
Council's Housing Allocation Scheme, which is available here:
[2]http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/Housi...

The additional priority to those who are resident in Lambeth, and for
those who have been on the waiting list a long time is explained on p.13,
under the headings "Local connection", and "Time spent on the housing
list".

3. Explanation of how our housing allocation policy is fair, and how
it complies with the statutory guidance

The new statutory guidance, published on 4^th December 2009, reaffirms
that councils should continue to give priority to those in greatest
housing need, but strengthens councils' freedoms to greater weighting to
other factors alongside housing need, such as time spent on the waiting
list, those with a strong local connection with an area, and those seeking
work. The guidance stresses that councils have freedom to determine their
own allocations policies, and may chose whether to prioritise other
factors according to local circumstances.

Councils already had a degree of freedom to allocate some homes according
to local priorities, and to take account of factors other than housing
need, such as waiting time, and therefore our current housing allocation
policy already takes account of this. In addition to prioritising based
on housing need and waiting time, we also allocate homes according to
needs specific to our local area. These include:

o Under-occupying tenants who wish to move to a smaller home
o Young people leaving care
o Those who require housing to prevent admission to, or allow discharge
from, elderly persons' home or residential care
o Those leaving short-stay supported housing schemes
o Those who need to move on welfare grounds, as recommended by Lambeth's
adult or children's social care services.

Our policy is fair because it prioritises those with the greatest housing
need, whilst also taking account of other factors, such as time spent on
the housing list. We believe that within the context of an extreme
shortage of housing relative to need, our housing allocation policy
provides a fair means of allocating the very limited amount of social
housing available.

4. Evidence through survey or resident feedback that the current
system of allocating housing is fair and reflects the statutory guidance

When developing the current Housing Allocation Scheme in 2006/7, we
consulted with Council tenants and leaseholders, housing associations and
other interested stakeholders, and the scheme was approved by Council's
Cabinet. More recently, we consulted with a wide range of individuals and
organisations in developing the current Housing Strategy 2009-2013. A copy
of the Strategy, together with a list of organisations consulted, is
available here:

[3]http://www.lambeth.gov.uk/Services/Housi...

The new statutory guidance was published on 4^th December, and we have not
carried out a survey of residents specifically relating to this.

I trust that this answers your enquiry.

If you are dissatisfied with the way in which your Freedom of Information
request has been dealt with you can request an internal review by
emailing: [email address] (Please quote reference 13313) or by
writing to:

Corporate Complaints Manager
Lambeth Town Hall
Brixton Hill
Brixton
SW2 1RW

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the review you have a
further right to appeal to the Information Commissioner, who regulates the
implementation of the Freedom of Information Act. The Commissioner can be
contacted at the following address:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Enquiry line: 01625 545745

Website: [4]www.ico.gov.uk

Charlie Conyers

Business and Housing Options Development Manager

Housing, Regeneration and Environment

London Borough of Lambeth

phone: 020 7926 4402

e-mail: [email address]

website: [5]http://www.lambeth.gov.uk

3rd Floor

2-7 Town Hall Parade

Brixton Hill

London SW2 1RP

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From: Gardner1,Richard
Sent: 16 December 2009 16:54
To: 'Ann Brown'
Subject: FOI 123313 - Updated Housing Regulations on Housing Allocations

Dear Ann Brown

FOI Acknowledgement

Thank you for your collated further FOI Requests as below which we will
handle as a combined new request. Please quote our ref 123313 in any
further correspondence about this request.

We anticipate responding within the statutory period of 20 working days
following the date of receipt, in this case by 15/01/10.

Thank you for your interest in Lambeth Council.

Richard Gardner

Information Compliance Adviser

London Borough of Lambeth

ICT Services

Finance & Resources

tel: 020 79267741

www.lambeth.gov.uk

3rd Floor, Ivor House, 1 Acre Lane, London, SW2 5SD

Lambeth - Making a difference

show quoted sections