New Allocation Rules Favour Workers

Councils are using new legal freedoms to give people with a job an advantage over the unemployed when it comes to gaining a social home. They have been rewriting allocations rules based on guidance published by the previous government in December 2009, giving councils more flexibility over how they allocate social housing.Significant numbers of councils have since redrafted their policies – with most giving applicants who can prove they are making a ‘contribution’ to the local area an advantage. Housing minister Grant Shapps announced last week that the government intends to introduce legislation to give local authorities even more freedom over allocating their homes. Read more on Inside Housing.