Changes Won’t Stop Councils Relocating Tenants

Government legislation intended to stop councils moving homeless families out of their areas will not have any more effect than the existing guidelines, lawyers have said.  A consultation on the type of private rented accommodation that is suitable for social landlords to use to meet their homelessness duties has been launched by Grant Shapps. The proposals require councils to take into account whether housing is suitably located, which Mr Shapps said was intended to stop them housing families outside their local area.  More than 48,500 people were accepted as homeless by councils in 2011, up 14 per cent from 2010. But lawyers warn that producing secondary legislation, which would legally require councils to consider existing family, school or work links when housing people in other areas, will not make much difference. Current guidance in the Housing Act 1996 states housing authorities should house people within their district ‘so far as reasonably practicable’.  In either case, councils must be able to prove that they have given regard to the location of the property.  Read more on Inside Housing.