Content

To approve amendments to our Housing
Allocations Policy to reflect recent legislative changes regarding
local connection criteria for young people leaving care and
priority for applicants experiencing domestic abuse. The amendments
include:

1. Removal of the West Sussex Local Connection requirement for care
leavers, in line with statutory guidance that local connection can
no longer be applied to eligible, relevant, or former relevant
children under the Children Act 1989.
2. Insertion of revised Local Connection clause (Section 5.6.6)
setting out that: A young person who is an eligible child, a
relevant child, or former relevant child (as defined under the
Children Act 1989) is exempt from local connection
requirements.
3. Inclusion of domestic abuse provisions in accordance with the
Domestic Abuse Act 2021 for applicants living in refuge or
temporary accommodation in the Arun District where it is safe for
them to remain.

Amendments to Banding, adding:

a) B9 – Additional preference for people fleeing domestic
abuse, including applicants from outside the district who are
accommodated in refuge or temporary accommodation.
b) B10 – Additional preference for young people leaving local
authority care (eligible, relevant, or former relevant children
aged under 25) who are assessed as ready for independent living
with an appropriate support plan in place.

Reasons for the decision

To ensure the Council’s Housing
Allocations Policy is compliant with current legislation,
specifically:

• The Domestic Abuse Act 2021, which requires that victims of
domestic abuse living in refuge or temporary accommodation receive
appropriate housing priority.
• Recent statutory changes to the Children Act 1989
obligations, which prohibit local authorities from applying a local
connection test to care leavers who are eligible, relevant, or
former relevant children up to age 25.

These amendments ensure fairness, legal compliance, and appropriate
prioritisation for vulnerable groups.

Alternative options considered

• To make no changes to the Allocations
Policy – This option was rejected as it would leave the
Council non-compliant with current legislation and open to legal
challenge.
• To apply discretionary local criteria differently –
Rejected as the legislation provides clear mandatory requirements
which the Council must implement.