Agenda item

Resolved: that the committee refer its views to Mayor and Cabinet in the following terms:

Given the additional pressures on households of living in statutorily overcrowded conditions, the committee recommends that Mayor and Cabinet agrees, in principle, to the Council adopting the statutory definition of overcrowding as an additional measure of overcrowding within its Housing Allocation Scheme, subject to an assessment of the potential costs, procedural issues and impact on other priority groups on the housing list. The committee asks Mayor and Cabinet to assess the impact of such a change and report back to the Housing Select Committee in 6 months’ time.  

Lee Georgiou (SGM Housing Needs and Refugee Services) introduced the report. There was a discussion and the following key points were noted:

1.1      The officer report set out the extent of overcrowding in London and Lewisham; the difference definitions of overcrowding; and the action taken in Lewisham to address overcrowding.

1.2      London has the highest rate of overcrowding in the country – around one in ten of all households. There are more than 9,300 households on the housing register in Lewisham. 4,500 of these are overcrowded by 1 bedroom – the single largest reason for households on the register. More than 500 are overcrowded by two bedrooms or more.

1.3      Accessing private rented accommodation for larger households who rely on benefits is extremely challenging because local housing allowance can only be claimed for a maximum of a four bedroom property.

1.4      Lewisham’s allocations scheme gives reasonable preference to households living in overcrowded conditions. Households lacking two bedrooms or more are placed in band 1. Those lacking one bedroom are placed in band 2. Lewisham uses the bedroom standard for assessing overcrowding, which is more generous than the statutory definition.

1.5      One committee member noted that every London local authority uses the bedroom standard for assessing overcrowding, but that around half also use statutory overcrowding as an additional measure because they recognise it as a potential public health issue.

1.6      It was noted that some of the local authorities that use a combination of the statutory definition and the bedroom standard have removed the category of overcrowded by one bedroom and focussed on the most extreme cases.

1.7      It was noted that there are a large number of overcrowded households on the housing register that have not recently bid for a property and may need some extra support. The committee suggested that a time limit should be set to raise a concern and provide support for those that have not bid.

1.8      The committee advised against asking people to re-register for the new allocations IT system if they have been inactive for a long time, and expressed concern for those on the list who do not use computers, for whom English isn’t their first language, and those who can’t read or write.

1.9      The committee acknowledged that one of the most significant issues with severe overcrowding is the lack of larger, 4/5 bedroom homes, but noted the importance of having statutory overcrowding as an extra measure given the potential impact on public health.

1.10    The committee noted that home swaps and similar alternative options for households on the housing register were not featured on the council’s choice-based-letting’s portal, Lewisham Homesearch.

1.11    The committee noted that the Homesearch portal was the main place that households on the housing register would visit to find housing and suggested that it would be a good place to make people aware of all their options, including the possibility of home swaps and similar.

1.12    The committee noted the suggestion to carry out a review of Lewisham Homesearch as part of the committee’s work programme for the next municipal year.

Resolved: that the committee refer its views to Mayor and Cabinet in the following terms:

Given the additional pressures on households of living in statutorily overcrowded conditions, the committee recommends that Mayor and Cabinet agrees, in principle, to the Council adopting the statutory definition of overcrowding as an additional measure of overcrowding within its Housing Allocation Scheme, subject to an assessment of the potential costs, procedural issues and impact on other priority groups on the housing list. The committee asks Mayor and Cabinet to assess the impact of such a change and report back to the Housing Select Committee in 6 months’ time.