You can now have your say on proposals which aim to make the way that social housing is allocated in Hertsmere fairer for those in need of accommodation.
A revised Housing Allocations Policy going to public consultation was approved by our Cabinet yesterday (7 May 2025).
The intention is to ensure housing is allocated to residents with the greatest need, within a framework which better reflects people’s individual circumstances. Proposals in the updated revised policy include:
- A more sensitive assessment of overcrowding, particularly recognising circumstances in which a boy and a girl (where one or both are teenagers) are forced to share a bedroom;
- Increasing priority and reviewing incentives to encourage under-occupiers to downsize and release homes required for families;
- Recognising a threat of homelessness;
- Helping people with support needs move closer to relatives in the borough by considering them for lower-demand accommodation;
- Setting a limit on income and saving levels to ensure that social housing is restricted to those who cannot afford other options.
Following the public consultation, in which you can take part until Thursday 19 June 2025 via our online consultation platform, the revised Housing Allocations Policy will be put before Cabinet for recommendation to Full Council for final adoption.
Cllr Alan Matthews, the council’s Portfolio Holder for Housing and Housing Development, said: "Our top priority is to ensure that housing is allocated in the right way so that our residents receive a fair and balanced service based on greatest needs. Everyone deserves a decent home to live in but achieving that is one of the biggest challenges facing every council.
"There is high demand for social housing in Hertsmere, and only limited supply. That gap has increased in recent years because of inadequate housing investment across the UK. This means more families on the Housing Register, more social tenants needing to move, and more households becoming homeless.
"That's why we've worked carefully on these plans to improve the system. This is the first major review of its kind for five years, and is long overdue. We’ve already revised council strategies to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, and to get empty homes back into use. We continue to work with partners to increase the supply of affordable housing.
"The review of the Allocations Policy is an important part of the jigsaw in addressing housing need. We want to get this right and encourage you to send us your thoughts on our proposals.”
