The Head of Housing and Community Services introduced the report and explained that the effect of the temporary changes to the Housing Allocation Scheme policy introduced in April 2020 had been reviewed.  The aim of the changes was to encourage households to remain in current accommodation where possible and avoid the use of temporary accommodation. An increase of 92% in the number of successfully prevented homelessness cases had occurred for the period August 2020 to July 2021, compared to the period August 2019 to July 2020. The comparison of the two periods also showed a 27% decrease in the number of households placed into temporary accommodation and vacated within the same 12 months, although the average length of stay was slightly longer.

RESOLVED: That the proposed changes to the Council’s Housing Allocation Scheme, set out in Appendix A to the report, be approved and incorporated into Version 2.2 of the Housing Allocation Scheme, attached at Appendix B to the report.