Local Authority Housing Fund Resettlement Accommodation

1.Background

1.1Under the Housing Act 1996 Great Yarmouth Borough Council has to ensure that when allocating and nominating to housing accommodation reasonable preference is given to the following groups:

• people who are homeless within the meaning of Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 (including those who are intentionally homeless and those not in priority need)
• people who are owed a duty by any housing authority under the Housing Act 1996 sections 190(2), 193(2) or 195(2) (or under section 65(2) or 68(2) of the Housing Act 1985) or who are occupying accommodation secured by any such authority under section 192(3)
• people occupying unsanitary or overcrowded housing or otherwise living in unsatisfactory housing conditions
• people who need to move on medical or welfare grounds, including grounds relating to a disability
• people who need to move to a particular locality in the district of the authority, where failure to meet that need would cause hardship (to themselves or to others)

1.2The Housing Act 1996 also gives the Council the power to frame its allocation policy and scheme to give additional preference to particular descriptions of people who fall within the statutory reasonable preference categories and have urgent housing needs.

1.3In addition, the Housing Act 1996 enables the Council to allocate particular accommodation to people of a particular description, whether or not they fall within the reasonable preference categories, provided that they do not dominate the scheme and overall, the scheme operates to give reasonable preference to those in the statutory reasonable preference categories over those who are not.

1.4This Local Lettings Policy sets out the eligibility criteria and method for allocating to the first let of resettlement accommodation delivered under the Local Authority Housing Fund (LAHF) Round 2.

2.Eligibility criteria

2.1Households eligible for resettlement accommodation are those currently in bridging accommodation (or who have left bridging hotels and are homeless, at risk of homelessness, or living in unsuitable temporary accommodation) and who are in the Country on one of following schemes:
 

• Afghan Citizen Resettlement Scheme (ACRS)
• Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP)

2.2Households will be required to register on the Council's housing register.

3.Method of allocating

3.1Allocations are to be made in line with the Council's Allocation Policy and Scheme. All allocations are to be direct lets made by the Housing Options Service Manager.