London borough claims it will "rip up the social housing rule book"

The Cabinet at Hammersmith & Fulham Council is expected next week to approve plans for the introduction of fixed term social housing tenancies as well as a maximum income cap for those wanting to access the authority’s housing register.

The council claimed that it would be “ripping up the social housing rule book” from April 2013.

Under its plans:

• Households earning more than £40,200 will “generally” be prevented from accessing the housing register. “Instead, they will be offered advice on other housing options including joining the council’s HomeBuy Register.”
• Local, working residents, members of the armed forces and those who make a community contribution will be prioritised for social housing lettings.
• Five-year fixed-term tenancies will be introduced for new social housing lettings. Two-year, fixed term tenancies will apply to those aged between 18 and 25. “Secure tenancies will still be available for the most vulnerable residents.” Existing tenants will be unaffected.
• The children of tenants will be prevented from inheriting their council property.
• Local lettings plans will be promoted to “produce more mixed, balanced and sustainable communities” and to ensure that no single tenure dominates.
• The link between a homelessness application and a social housing tenancy will be broken. “Instead, the council will assist homeless people into the private housing sector, be it inside or outside of the borough.” The council also claimed that the “perverse incentives the current system can create” would be removed.

Cllr Andrew Johnson, cabinet member for housing at Hammersmith & Fulham, said: “We are leading the way in ushering in a new era for social housing in this country. We are saying that the current system, whereby anyone can apply for a council home irrespective of housing need, has failed. We believe that the notion of a tenancy for life is outdated and that it’s wrong to expect to inherit a welfare benefit in the form of a subsidised house irrespective of housing need.

“Instead, we want to give honest, hard-working, local residents on low to middle incomes, who make a positive contribution to their local communities, the opportunity to access social housing.”

Cllr Johnson also claimed that “the old, antiquated system has created disadvantaged communities by producing concentrations of people on benefits with disproportionately high levels of unemployment and sometimes social breakdown”.

He said: “In its place, we want to create neighbourhoods where a broad mix of social households all live side-by-side.”

Hammersmith & Fulham’s approach has been backed by new Housing Minister Mark Prisk.

He said: "Hammersmith & Fulham are taking firm action to ensure that their homes are reserved for those who genuinely need and deserve them the most. They are using their new local powers to cut waiting lists, and giving greater priority to the Armed Forces, local residents and foster carers. By doing this they are making the most of our common sense reforms to make the social housing system fairer and more responsive."

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