The Housing Selection Scheme Consultation Paper - Northern ...

Many tenants will choose not to move and to stay and pay the difference
between their housing benefit award and their full rent charge; however some
may not be able to meet the shortfall and may decide to move to avoid financial
hardship, rent arrears and the risk of losing their home and becoming homeless.
We are expecting that the demand for transfers is likely to rise sharply as some
tenants try to move to smaller, more affordable homes. The majority of the
tenants who will be affected are single people and couples with no children living
in the household (16,000 NIHE tenants and 3456 Housing Association tenants).
Consequently, there may be increased demand for tenants to downsize to one
bedroom homes.
As landlords it is important that we provide support and advice to our tenants in
these circumstances and that we ensure that the Housing Selection Scheme
gives due recognition to under-occupying tenants who are impacted by this size
restriction and suffering financial hardship. The Housing Executive must consider
whether the level of recognition within the Housing Selection Scheme given to
under-occupying tenants is set at a high enough level to enable them to move if
they need to. The Housing Selection Scheme currently recognises the needs of
tenants who are under-occupying through the award of Under-Occupation points.
Under-Occupation Points
Under-Occupation Points are currently awarded only to a social housing tenant if
his / her current accommodation exceeds the needs of the tenant’s household,
and all other persons residing in the dwelling, in respect of the number and size
of available bedrooms. 10 points are awarded for each bedroom in excess of the
requirements (using the same criteria applied to determine Overcrowding points).
The maximum number of points that may be awarded for Under Occupation is 30
i.e. 3 bedrooms in excess of requirements.
Following careful consideration it is the view that this level of points may not be
sufficient to allow tenants who are affected by this change to ‘compete’ for
allocations, given that many tenants do not have any other housing need factors
and traditionally accumulate limited points under the Housing Selection Scheme.
It is of interest that in Great Britain the Localism Act (2011) removed most
transferring tenants from the allocation rules, thereby allowing local authorities
the flexibility to give additional priority to existing tenants affected by the size
criteria who wish to move to smaller accommodation. While the Housing
Executive is aware of the need to give due priority to new applicants in housing
need, it recognises that it needs to balance this with the needs of existing tenants
who need to move out of a home larger than they require and which they cannot
afford. The Housing Executive and registered Housing Associations as
participating landlords in a Common selection Scheme are of the view that
under-occupying tenants affected by the size restriction should be treated as a
priority group regardless of housing need, particularly if they are living in the type
of home which is in demand.
Proposals for Changes to the Housing Selection Scheme 13