Agenda item

Report of the Head of Economic Growth and Housing.

The Cabinet considered the report of the Head of Economic Growth and Housing indicating that since 2012, the Council had been part of the Merseyside sub regional social housing allocations scheme known as Property Pool Plus (PPP). Following a review of the policy, which included extensive community consultation and concluded in early 2021, a final draft of the policy which updated the current version of the policy had now been agreed between all the other Liverpool City Region local authorities. Approval was sought on this final revised Allocations Policy and for the arrangements for the introduction of a new IT system to support the operation of the new policy and scheme.

A Member of the Cabinet asked questions/raised matters on the following issue:

·       The budget that would be used to fund the scheme.

Decision Made:

That

(1)      the Allocations policy and scheme, as set out in Appendix B to the report, be approved;

(2)      the introduction of the new scheme be delayed until a suitable IT system is procured to support the operation of the new policy and scheme;

(3)      authority be delegated to the Head of Economic Growth and Housing, in consultation with the Cabinet Member - Communities and Housing, to enter into a contract with an IT system supplier following a procurement exercise for the provision of the IT system;

(4)      authority be delegated to the Head of Economic Growth and Housing to approve the financial arrangements for procuring and operating the new IT system;

(5)      recommendations (2), (3) and (4) above be subject to the Council approving a Supplementary Capital Estimate for the scheme of £65,000 funded from the Cost of Change budget;

(6)      authority be delegated to the Head of Economic Growth and Housing to enter into arrangements with the other participating local authorities (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool and Wirral), to govern the implementation and future operation of the allocations scheme, including the appointment of a PPP Coordinator to work across all local authority areas; and

(7)      the Council be recommended to approve a Supplementary Capital Estimate for the scheme of £65,000 funded from the Cost of Change budget.

Reasons for the Decision:

In order to ensure that the Allocations Policy is in line with current legislation, case law and good practice it is necessary to update the current iteration. Cabinet authority is required to adopt a new Social Housing Allocations Policy and to approve the work and cost related to an IT system necessary to operate it.

Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

The alternative option would be to not approve participation in this sub-regional scheme, and under that scenario the Council would need to operate its own allocation scheme. In the short term this would require the continued use of the existing policy and therefore extend use of the existing allocation scheme and operational agreements with One Vision Housing (OVH) and Civica, the existing IT system supplier. In order to ensure that the policy in operation was up to date, the Council would need to develop its own allocations policy and scheme, and separately procure a suitable IT system with which to operate it.

However, the opportunity to take advantage of joint sub-regional operational arrangements for an allocations scheme or efficient procurement of an improved IT system will not be possible, nor will the efficiencies that are expected to flow from these arrangements be gained.