Agenda Reports Pack (Public) 15/10/2012, 19.00 - Meetings ...

Building a Housing Ladder of Opportunity –Tenancy Strategy1. Summary1.1 The 2011 Localism Act places a statutory duty on local authorities toproduce a Tenancy Strategy, which should set out the local housingauthority’s approach to tenure reform in the social housing sector.Section 150 (1) and (2) of the Act states the following:(1) A local housing authority in England must prepare and publish astrategy (a “tenancy strategy”) setting out the matters to which theregistered providers of social housing for its district are to have regardin formulating policies relating to: –(a) the kinds of tenancies they grant,(b) the circumstances in which they will grant a tenancy of a certainkind,(c) where they grant tenancies for a term certain, the lengths of theterms, and(d) the circumstances in which they will grant a further tenancy on thecoming to an end of an existing tenancy(2) The tenancy strategy must summarise those policies or explainwhere they may be found.1.2 This Tenancy Strategy is intended to meet the legislative requirementsset out above. The Council intends to take full advantage of theopportunity to grant fixed term tenancies and expects private registeredproviders (mainly housing associations) to do the same. However,there may be a few exceptions where secure/assured tenancies (alsoknown as ‘lifetime tenancies’) will still be granted.1.3 Private Registered Providers (known as housing associations to mostpeople) are required to have regard to the authority’s Tenancy Strategyand the authority expects such landlords to alter their policies over areasonable timeframe to reflect the Council’s position and priorities.1.4 This document is focused on tenancies that are granted by registeredproviders – both the council in its landlord role and housingassociations as private registered providers - which operate inHammersmith & Fulham. It is not focused on who will be prioritised forthe allocation of affordable homes and other accommodation: this is setout in the Council’s Housing Allocation Scheme (October 2012). Theauthority intends that the Tenancy Strategy will help deliver any revisedobjectives set out in the new Housing Allocation Scheme.1.5 It should be noted that the implementation of the Tenancy Strategy willnot affect existing tenants housed by Registered Providers, i.e., theCouncil in its landlord role and housing associations.3Page 428