Council Faces High Court Challenge over Homelessness Policy

A council’s policy to bar homeless people from bidding for social homes for 12 months is set to be challenged in the High Court.  Resident Hakima Alemi will say Westminster Council’s allocation policy, which suspends homeless people from bidding for social housing until a year after their homelessness acceptance, is unlawful. Ms Alemi’s judicial review against the scheme, launched in October last year, was last week given permission to be heard in the High Court within months. Ms Alemi argues Westminster’s policy breaches the 1996 Housing Act, which requires councils to give ‘reasonable preference’ to homeless people. Read more on Inside Housing.