Purpose

Purpose:
Amend the existing main and temporary sub-quota in the Housing
Allocations Scheme to increase the number of allocations to
households on the housing register either at risk of homelessness
or owed the main housing duty in order to impact the use and cost
of temporary accommodation.

Background:
The Council is experiencing significant pressures on its
homelessness services, resulting in elevated use of and longer
stays in nightly paid temporary accommodation. This is putting the
Councils financial position at risk and is a corporate priority to
address. Longer stays in temporary accommodation also put
unnecessary strain on households who have no other choice but to
remain there while waiting for an offer of housing.

On 21st February 2024 Crawley Borough Council declared a housing
emergency, advising that the demand for temporary and settled
accommodation was consistently higher than the supply, and that the
financial impact was unsustainable for the Council.

Section 5.1.1 of the Housing Allocation Scheme (the Scheme) sets
out the main quota that describes how available social housing is
to be allocated by banding/applicant type. This section of the
Scheme advises that the proportion split of the quota will be
reviewed on an annual basis and that if the review concludes that a
different proportion split may better achieve the aim of balancing
the competing needs of those needing housing (such as homeless
households, those in reasonable preference groups), it may be
amended for the coming year by the Head of Strategic Housing
following consultation with the Cabinet Member for Housing.

Section 5.1.2 of the Housing Allocation Scheme is the temporary
sub-quota that can be enacted for up to six-months at a time. The
temporary sub-quota in 5.1.2 is an example and has not been amended
to date. Continued increase in demand on the service, a decline in
the supply of properties available, and a mismatch of properties to
households increasingly means that the quota is limited in its
ability to be effective. It is proposed that the temporary
sub-quota already set out in the Scheme be updated under delegated
authority to better address the pressures on the service.

In addition, other minor amendments to the scheme are required so
that care leavers with a strong local connection to West Sussex can
qualify to join the housing register and that direct lets can be
made to homeless households residing in emergency temporary
accommodation when the urgent need arises when owed the
“relief” duty under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 (as
amended).

Content

Following consultation with
the Cabinet Member for Housing and in accordance with delegation
7.e of the Divisions Sub-Delegation Scheme, the Head of Strategic
Housing approved:
- amendments to the main and temporary sub-quotas and confirmed
that they shall take effect on 18/03/2024, including the enactment
of the revised temporary sub-quota in section 5.1.2 of the existing
Housing Allocation Scheme for a period of up to 6 months
- that care leavers be granted exemption to the local connection
criteria under section 2.4.2.1 of the Housing Allocation
Scheme
- that section 6 of the Housing Allocation Scheme be amended to
allow direct lets to households owed a relief duty residing in
temporary accommodation.