Published: Friday 14 April 2023
Kensington and Chelsea residents have shown their support for proposals on a new, fairer Housing Allocations Scheme which will offer them clarity about their position on the borough’s housing register.
The new scheme was developed with residents to help them understand the significant pressures on the very limited stock of homes available for social rent in the borough.
The nationwide housing crisis has seen demand increase significantly over recent years, and there is a particularly high demand in Kensington and Chelsea compared to the available homes.
Currently there are 3,181 households on the Council’s housing register (waiting list), of which 2,134 are in temporary accommodation, with 75 per cent outside the borough. In 2021/22 only 409 social homes became available for people on the Housing Register.
The Council owns 7,025 homes, and there are a further 11,664 homes managed by registered social providers in the borough. The Council has committed to building a further 300 social homes.
At this week’s Leadership team meeting it was agreed to introduce the new allocations policy before the summer.
Work on the new policy began as consultation with Council housing tenants in January 2021 helping to shape the proposals. This led to a more formal three-month consultation from December 2021 to February 2022 for all residents. The new scheme focuses on three major themes:
• incentivising the private rented sector with the introduction of a new category of points for those who choose it over temporary accommodation
• recognising those who have waited the longest by awarding new waiting points
• adopting a chain lettings approach to free up more family sized homes for households that need them
The whole system will also be more transparent with the use of a banding system which will allow people to know exactly where they are on the housing waiting list and how long it is likely to take to be rehoused.
Cllr Kim Taylor Smith, Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Grenfell Housing, Housing and Social Investment said:
“We are in the midst of a housing crisis with more and more people needing homes every year. We know the challenges people are facing and are committed to working with our communities and giving residents every chance to live in high-quality homes in our borough. The new Housing Allocations Scheme will help us make the best and fairest use of Council, housing association and private rented homes in the borough to help those most in housing need.”
One resident said: “Given the wide range of property location and types across the borough, it is important to ensure that allocations are offered fairly, and residents have an appropriate level of choice to suit their specific circumstances regardless of their priority band”.
Another resident felt that it was important to “start prioritising those that have been waiting the longest and be more transparent about who is securing the housing” and another one said that bands for priority points were a “good idea as long as residents are listened to and treated equally”.
The new allocation scheme comes six years after the last consultation with residents about how best to make use of the limited housing available in the borough. As well as the new scheme being more transparent and easier to understand, it also means residents will get more points if they choose to move out of temporary accommodation and into private rented housing. This will give people more certainty and security, and they will not lose their place on the housing register.
It also explicitly references residents affected by the Grenfell tragedy, and the rehousing priorities that are available to those who wish to move to another home. This forms part of the Council’s commitment to residents most impacted by the tragedy and aims to contribute towards helping the community to heal and rebuild their lives.