Agenda item

To present an interim report to the Committee on the progress of the Housing Allocations Policy since its implementation two years ago.

a)    To accept the report, noting the observations made during the meeting.

b)    A further report will be submitted on proposed changes to the Housing Allocation Policy in the new year in order to give members an opportunity to have an input.

A foreword was received from the Cabinet Member for Housing and Property who referred to the increasing emphasis on housing local people in the new Housing Allocation Policy. Pride was expressed in the numbers of local people who received property off the Common Housing Register. 

 

The opportunity was taken to remind the Committee of the homelessness situation in the County, noting that the waiting time for a social property could be years. It was noted that this was unfair and reflected the reality that there was not enough social housing in the County. It was reported that it took years to increase the stock, and although improvements had happened in this field, there was an insufficient number of properties available to meet the demand for social housing.  

 

The Head of Housing and Property Department expressed that the report submitted to the Committee was an interim report with the proposal to report in full to the Committee later on in the new year. It was noted that this was as a result of potential changes afoot as a result of policy and legislation changes by Government and expectations on Local Authorities to prioritise specific aspects in the homelessness field.  

 

An overview was provided of the progress since starting to implement the new Housing Allocation Policy two years ago by the Housing Options Team Leader. It was explained that the new process of prioritising applicants was based on placing applications in priority Bands, which had replaced the old system of awarding points to applications. It was noted that this system simplified the process and was a combination of the scale of applicants' needs, as well as a connection to Gwynedd.  

 

It was reported that the Housing Options team was working closely with the Housing Associations and let around 600-650 properties in a year. It was explained that the demand was substantially higher than the supply of housing that became empty. It was added that as a result of the Policy changes that 96.5% of lettings had been made to applications who had a connection to Gwynedd, compared with 90% before the new Policy was implemented.  

 

Reference was made to the challenges experienced as a result of Covid, increasing living costs and the substantial increase in the number facing homelessness in the County. This had led to an increase in the register, with over 3,300 applications now waiting for social properties. It was reiterated that the supply had not increased as quickly, which showed the demand for social property. 

 

During the discussion, the following observations were submitted by members:- 

 

·           Gratitude was expressed for the report.  

·           It was asked what changes were afoot as a result of the change in Government Policy and whether these would affect the Gwynedd connection element in the Policy. 

·           Concern was expressed that the Policy change would encourage people to move into the area and then receive priority since they were homeless.  

·           It was asked whether people from outside the County presented themselves as homeless here.  

·           Reference was made to cases where people were in category or band 2, but the Members felt that they should be in band 1. Members were welcomed to raise matters about specific individuals with the Housing Options Team Leader at the end of the meeting.  

·           Concern was expressed about family members helping individuals who faced homelessness, since this help in reality made it more difficult for them to be re-housed.  

·           A comment was made about the housing shortages, and it was asked whether this shortage meant that allocations were all from band 1 only, and that applications in band 2 did not have much of a chance.  

·           Reference was made to the numbers living in three-bedroom houses by themselves; it was asked whether they were offered any sort of incentive or otherwise to encourage them to move in order to release these houses to families.  

·           It was asked whether the connection to communities continued to exist within the new Policy.  

·           A question was asked about the income of the people who were registering on the housing register, and whether there was a threshold, e.g. on their savings. It had been commented previously that income and savings restrictions existed where people were not included on the register. 

·           Concern was expressed about applicants being offered properties in locations where they did not want to live and being penalised on their application if they refused the property.  

·           It was asked how many families were in temporary accommodation in the County. It was also asked whether caravan sites were being considered instead of hotels or B&Bs.  

·           It was asked whether the Council was reconsidering buying properties. It was highlighted that empty 3-4 bedroom houses were currently for sale on the open market and the Council could buy them and use them as temporary accommodation; this would save money in the long-term. 

·           A question was asked about private empty homes, e.g., second homes, and whether the Council could help lease these houses or find tenancies for them. 

In response to the observations and questions from members above, it was noted:- 

 

·           That there were no signs that changes to the Housing Allocation Policy due to the legislative change, would affect the local connection element. It was reported that it was likely that the changes would relate to attempting to maximise the number of homeless people being housed.  

·           It was believed that there would be a change of focus in terms of which categories would be considered as urgent needs, which would include homelessness and other needs, e.g., medical and well-being. It was explained that there may be a need to give higher priority to homelessness needs than other needs. It was added that the Government had other strategies such as Rapid Rehousing which would be used by the Council in an attempt to reduce the use of temporary property, which would reduce costs as well as pressures on other services which supported tenants in temporary accommodation. 

·           It was reiterated that people from Gwynedd were the majority of the homeless people on the waiting list and that there was a connection to Gwynedd. It was noted that the numbers presenting as homeless from outside the County was very low. It was explained that of the 3,335 applications on the Register than 35 were in band 1B, namely an urgent housing needs but no local connection, therefore the percentage was very low. It was elaborated that 1,300 lettings had been made from the new Policy and only 17 of these had come from band 1B.  

·           It was added that the decision regarding changing the constitution of the bands was a Cyngor Gwynedd decision, since it was Council Policy. Nevertheless, the Policy had to be implemented within the Government's guidelines and regulations. It was reported that no sign had come from the Government to date about a change in the local connection element within the bands. 

·           It was confirmed that conducting a homelessness assessment within 56 days was a part of the legal framework and was statutory. It was noted that the assessment or application to be on the Common Housing Register by the Housing Options Team was separate to the homelessness assessment. The importance for the Housing Options Team to receive full information from applicants so that they could make an assessment in accordance with the Policy and give the correct priority to the application, was emphasised. Reference was made to the internal review that would be carried out within the Housing Department to ensure that the needs of the people of Gwynedd were addressed to the future and to revise lessons that had been learnt over the past years. 

·           It was reported that 16% of the housing register, which equated to over 500 applications, came from band 1A. Of the 1,300 who had received a property, it was noted that 40% of them had come from this band. It was added that 45% of the applications that had received a property had come from band 2, which meant that the applications in band 2 had a good chance of receiving a property.  

·           With regards to the point of under-occupancy, it was explained that the role of the Housing Options Team was difficult in terms of encouraging people to move to smaller houses because the Council did not have a housing stock.  It was added that the role of housing associations was difficult since people had signed tenancy agreements and so nobody could be forced to move to smaller properties. It was noted that when under-occupancy happened and there was an urgent need for the property, then the application was placed in band 1A. The next step, which was also difficult, was trying to find a smaller property for these people, particularly considering the lack of bungalows for the elderly. It was reiterated that communication and working closely with Housing Associations was essential in order to convey the needs and the type of stock required in different areas.  

·           It was explained that the community connections continued to exist within the new Policy, and this determined how high the application would appear in a specific band. 

·           In terms of income, it was explained that this element now evolved weekly with the cost-of-living crisis. It was noted that housing associations had charitable status and were supposed to house people on low incomes. In the past, it may have been easier to identify a definitive threshold, but now there was a need to assess based on needs and treat every case individually before reaching a conclusion.  

·           The importance of applicants being able to only choose the areas in which they wished to live was emphasised, and for them to consider their choices carefully since applicants who refused a property in their chosen locations faced a penalty. It was explained that this matter could be complicated further when the applicants were homeless and in a temporary property when they were expected to expand their chosen areas. It was added that the Housing Options Team tried to be flexible.  

·           It was confirmed that 250 people were in temporary accommodation in Gwynedd and the figure had been increasing, at a substantial cost to the Council of millions a year. It was added that the Homelessness Unit housed people in caravans, but availability was a problem and barriers such as licensing and winter site closures meant that applicants or families had to be moved more than once.  

·           It was noted that the Housing and Property Department was in the process of buying some former social housing as well as old large buildings to convert them into flats that would be used as temporary accommodation. It was reported that the Department was looking to expand this work. 

·           It was explained that the Department had already sent letters to 1,500 empty houses in Gwynedd and had received 170 responses offering to sell the houses or asking for help to arrange an establish tenancy for the property. It was reported that the Department was currently working through the responses.  

Gratitude was expressed for all of the work being done by the Department and the Housing Options Team under difficult circumstances, considering the lack of social housing in the County. Members were also thanked for their questions.  

 

It was highlighted that the Head of Housing and Property Department had expressed a desire to return in the new year in order to provide a further update to the Committee. The Head of Housing and Property Department would provide an update to the Committee when the new legislation would be confirmed, and after receiving further guidance from the Government.  

 

DECISION 

a) To accept the report, noting the observations made during the meeting. 

b) A further report would be submitted on the proposed changes to the Housing Allocation Policy in the new year, so that members have an opportunity to provide their input.