Deputy Prime Minister, The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner has told the House of Commons the government will exempt certain victims of domestic abuse and young care leavers from rules which require applicants demonstrate a strong link to a specific area to be eligible for housing and other services there; providing them with access to social housing.
Changes which comes into effect next month will ensure ‘the most vulnerable in society can access the housing support they need’ say the government.
“Victims of domestic abuse and young care leavers often have to leave their local area for their own safety or to receive suitable support and therefore struggle to meet local connection tests in places where they would best be able build a safe and stable life. We know that most councils use the flexibilities available to them to exempt care leavers and victims of domestic abuse from local connection tests, but we must ensure that these exemptions are consistently applied.”
said Rayner in a written statement to the house.
“The regulations laid today will ensure that this potential barrier will be removed and they will no longer need to meet a local connection test for social housing. The regulations will come into force on 10 July.”
Nearly 90% of councils currently use local connection criteria to determine who qualifies for social housing. The new rules, which follow reforms to remove barriers for all former UK Armed Forces Veterans last year, recognise the ‘unique challenges (victims of domestic abuse and care leavers) can face, such as transitioning out of care or fleeing an unsafe home to seek safety.’ Last year the Deputy Prime Minister wrote to local councils reminding them of their obligations to prioritise vulnerable groups for social housing. Government guidance will be updated to reflect these changes.
“It breaks my heart to hear countless stories of people leaving the care system or fleeing an abusive relationship and not having a place they can truly call home. We’re rewriting the rules to help get them a roof over their heads and the security they deserve.
“Our changes will make sure these vulnerable groups do not face unfair barriers to safe and secure housing. This is backed by our commitment to secure the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, and through our Plan for Change we are going further and faster to make this a reality.”
The government add although the changes remove a specific barrier for these vulnerable groups, the allocation of social housing is still at the discretion of the local housing authority.
