Housing Options for Disabled People 2 July 2007

1. Housing Options for Disabled People2 July 2007 Choice Based Lettings Alison Venning

2. What is CBL? • A way of letting social rented properties where • Individual properties are openly advertised • Property & area marketing information is published • Homeseekers take the initiative to browse, choose & ‘bid’ • Bids are ranked & offers made according to prioritisation policies – the allocations scheme • Results & demand feedback are published • A customer’s right to refuse an offer is accepted • Customer support is available • Accessible information

3. Allocations Cumbersome processes Complex Opaque Driven by officer decisions Nurtures dependency Sometimes coercive Paper based Organised separately by tenure Working in isolation Reluctant tenants Choice Based Lettings Efficient processes Simple Transparent Driven by homeseeker Promotes empowerment No penalties for refusals Choice of channels Part of Housing Options approach Partnership working Sustainable communities Allocations cf CBL

4. Homeseekers choose whether to bid Learn to use the Internet/New technology Homeseekers choose where to live Can define own housing needs Good housing advice on website Can refuse without any penalty Area Type Size Floor Tenure Can better understand chances Can explore options through website and staff Advantages for homeseekers

5. Current Position • Target • CBL in place in all 354 English local authorities by 2010 • Progress as at April 06 • 32% LAs and 40% of large RSLs • Fewer than 10% LAs currently have no plans • Regional Challenge Fund to promote sub-regional schemes • Oversubscribed: half of bids received in Round 2 funded

6. Objectives • CLG wants CBL services to • Be integral to a housing options approach • Involve the private rented sector • Involve Low Cost Home Ownership • Be regional or sub-regional • Involve local authorities & RSLs working in partnership • Increased homeseeker satisfaction • Longer lasting tenancies • Reduce void costs & rent loss • Support creation of stable & cohesive communities

7. Longer Term Impact • DCLG commissioned Heriott-Watt & BMRB long-term impact report • Benefits • The end of hard to let • Lower refusal rates • Faster void times • Better tenancy sustainment • Cycle & shortlists support improved administration • Potential to transform customer relationships

8. Transforming Customer Relationships • Transparency • Fairness • Accessibility • Feedback • Myth busting • Managing expectations • Promoting options • Preventing Homelessness • Attracting RSLs to include all vacancies

9. Transforming Customer Relationships • Transparency and fairness: “Increased transparency is variously seen as helping applicants to appraise housing options more realistically, and to legitimise lettings decisions taken by landlords” • Show all stock not just voids to help myth busting • Blind faith to brutal truth – openness and honesty – treating people like adults • Aim to put all stock in to cbl scheme

10. Transforming Customer Relationships • Feedback and managing expectations: “where personalised feedback was available people felt very positive about the CBL system” • Feedback is essential to making informed choice and managing expectations: • Whether personalised (you came 10th) • Or general (2 beds in Newtown go to households in Band A or with x points)

11. Transforming Customer Relationships • Accessibility and fairness: • “In areas where the system was well understood .. it was believed fair” • CBL exposes underlying allocations scheme to scrutiny so the way in which bids are ranked (either banding or simple points scheme) must be: • easily understood • explained well • fair • justifiable • legal

12. Allocation Schemes • Must be Housing Act 96 (as amended by Homelessness Act 2002) compliant – e.g. no exclusions except the statutory ones • Give reasonable preference • Must publish full rules and follow them • Must be simple and easily understood to ensure transparency and to reduce administrative burden • Must pass the “pub test” • Must ensure properties with special features are reserved for those with special needs

13. Allocation policies cont’d • LAs retain responsibility for allocations schemes • LAs retain responsibility for homeless • RSLs must co-operate as far as is reasonable • CBL works with either banding or points schemes • CBL does need a simple scheme for ease of: understanding accessibility transparency administration • Must retain right to refuse bid on risk or management grounds • Must reserve right to make direct offers

14. Range of support for vulnerable • Identify them first – new apps and old • Identify and train those that support them • Prompting people to get hold of the advert • Sending copies of the ad to the housebound • Copies of the ad to homeless out of borough • Sending enlarged copies, giant emails or texts • Flowcharts of how to log on and bid • Bidding on behalf of those who cannot cope

15. Making best use of stock • Know your stock and its potential – train inspectors • Lifetime Homes • Inspect at every visit • Update database – NROSH • Incentives to vacate adapted properties • Incentives to move to smaller • Disabled Housing Registers • Bungalows/ elderly persons units

16. Other issues • Informed choice – frying pans to fire • Adaptations – RSLs have a duty to co-operate in meeting needs • Adaptability • Advantages of sub-regional schemes • New Build programme • Unmet needs

17. Thanks for listening.Any questions?