Content

 
 Salford City Council - Record of Decision
(Cabinet)
 
I, Councillor Tracy Kelly,
Statutory Deputy City Mayor in consultation with Cabinet, in
exercise of the powers contained within the City Council
Constitution do hereby:
Approve Salford’s
Allocation Policy 2025 – 2028.
 
The
Reasons are:
Section 166a of the Housing Act
1996 requires a local housing authority to publish an Allocations
Policy which sets out how social rented housing is allocated within
the area, how applicants on the housing register are prioritised
and to publish a summary of that scheme.
 
Work has taken place to review
the existing policy and to engage with key stakeholders, partners
and members of the public to help inform a new policy.
This policy is considered to
better reflect the current need/demand and availability of social
housing in the City and cost of living impacts on families, as well
as supporting the delivery of the Council’s strategic
priorities and statutory duties. In addition, the policy better
prioritises those with the most housing need.
 
The potential impacts of the
policy have been considered and this will be reviewed again in 2
years’ time.
 
Options
considered and rejected were:
Do nothing – This is not
considered an option
 
By
law the Allocation Policy needs to be reviewed and updated at least
every 5 years. On this occasion, we are proposing a three year
policy with a review in 2027/2028 to obtain findings from the
policy’s pilot schemes.

No changes to the policy criteria are likely to:
Exacerbate the existing discrepancy between the need for and
availability of social housing for those who need it.

Continue to unrealistically raise rehousing
expectations

Lead to continued high numbers of homeless
households

Exacerbate the use and costs of statutory temporary
accommodation placements

Not reflect current cost of living impacts on
families

Not prioritise those in greatest housing
need

 
 
Assessment of Risk:
Medium
There is a severe housing crisis
in Salford, where the need and demand for social housing far
outweighs its availability. Furthermore, the city faces
considerable challenges and risks in the form of ever increasing
homelessness, temporary accommodation use and costs. This policy
underpins the city’s wider strategic priorities which are:
homelessness prevention, making the best use of our housing assets,
supporting the councils corporate parenting role/responsibilities,
reducing the impact of domestic abuse including the cycle of abuse
and an anti-poverty approach.
 
Legal Advice
obtained: Michael Goulden, Senior Lawyer
(Housing)
The Draft Allocations Policy as
is it is written meets the requirements of s166A Housing Act 1996.
So long as all of the Council’s statutory duties are met,
including in particular s166A Housing Act 1996 and its associated
statutory guidance, then the Allocations Policy can be lawfully
formulated and implemented taking into account local considerations
and needs.
 
Financial Advice
obtained: Michelle Cowley, Finance
Manager: Costs to administer the required
changes to the policy are estimated to be £2000.00 and will
be costed to the Housing Options Service revenue cost centre
H8001.
 
Procurement Advice
obtained: N/A
 
HR Advice obtained:
N/A
 
Climate Change Advice
obtained: N/A
 
The
following documents have been used to assist the decision
process:
Salford’s Allocations
Policy 2025
 
Contact Officer:
Rachael Williamson, Principal Officer, Housing
Strategy
Telephone number:
0161 793 2695
 
The appropriate scrutiny panel to
call-in the decision is the Growth & Prosperity Scrutiny
Panel.
 
Signed:
Councillor Tracy Kelly        Dated: 24.04.25 .
Statutory Deputy City
Mayor
 
 
For
Democratic Services use only
This decision was published on
24.04.25
This decision will come in
force at 4.00 p.m. on 01.05.25 unless it is called-in in accordance
with the Decision Making Process Rules.