Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Strategic Director for People and Communities.

Agreed:

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the adoption of the new Housing Allocations Policy for the period 2025-2030, subject to the review of the Equality Impact Assessment.

Reason for Decision: As set out in the report and as amended at the meeting.

The Executive received the report on the new Housing Allocations Policy 2025-2030, with aimed to meet the requirements of the Regulator of Social Housing for a housing specific allocations policy detailing how lettings to Council housing stock would be made.

It was explained that the policy set out how the current allocation process worked and there was no change to the current practice. Currently there was detailed procedural policy set out by Devon Home Chose who operated allocations on behalf of social landlords in Devon, which was complex. The policy aimed to provide a more accessible overview to help people understand allocations and information timelines.

During the debate, the following points were made:

·        there was support for this approach as it would make it easier for people to understand and would support casework and public queries; and

·        an EQIA formatting issue was identified and caution was sought for consistency in the Executives’ approach to the report, given the previous item.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing, Homelessness Prevention and Customer Services commended the report which answered a number of questions relating to Devon Homes Choice.

An opposition group leader spoke on this item and referred to Low Housing Need (Band D) in the Devon Home Choice Policy document and sought assurance that those in no permanent homes were supported.

In response to questions raised, the Strategic Director for People and Communities and the Interim Head of Service – Housing advised that:

·        the error highlighted in the EQIA looked like it was a formatting error, rather than a more substantial issue, as identified in the Hate Crime Policy EQIA; and

·        all the other EQIA’s in the report pack would be checked and any formatting errors would be corrected before they went to Council.

The Leader agreed that the EQIA be checked and should it be a formatting error, to be corrected and be included with the minutes before going to Council and moved the following amendment to  the recommendation to read as follows:-

·        that Council approve the adoption of the new Housing Allocations Policy for the period 2025-2030, subject to the review of the Equality Impact Assessment.

The Leader moved, and Councillor Wright seconded, the amended recommendations which were voted upon and CARRIED unanimously.

RECOMMENDED that Council approve the adoption of the new Housing Allocations Policy for the period 2025-2030, subject to the review of the Equality Impact Assessment.

A copy of the revised Equality Impact Assessment was amended outside of the meeting and is attached to the minutes of the meeting.