Southwark suspends policy that reduced availability of social housing

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

Southwark families are celebrating an ‘important victory’ after the local council suspended a policy that has resulted in fewer social homes being available to bid on.

Since May, the local authority has been making more direct offers of council properties to households in temporary accommodation, in an attempt to save £4.8 million this financial year.

The Annual Lettings Plan 2024-25 was approved in April by councillor Sarah King, cabinet member for council homes. Since then, families with urgent priority – such as those with severe medical needs and living in overcrowded conditions – have struggled to find any council homes to bid on because of the local authority’s preference to prioritise those in temporary accommodation.

In July, several Southwark families in housing support group, Housing Action Southwark and Lambeth (HASL), instructed lawyers from the Public Interest Law Centre to send a legal letter to the Labour-run council demanding it end the direct offer policy.

Last Friday, the council responded to the letter saying that it would suspend the direct offer policy immediately, while it carried out a review of housing needs in the local area.

Edith, one of the HASL members who was involved in the legal action, said: “We are very happy with this important victory which will help everyone on the housing waiting list. We are looking forward to seeing homes on the bidding system so that we know that social housing is being allocated according to the rules.”

Edith has a seven-year old daughter who has late stage kidney failure and spends 10-12 hours per day on dialysis. She has been looking for a larger property so there is more space for her daughter’s medical equipment.

But despite having the second highest priority for rehousing with the council, she has struggled to find any properties she is able to bid on since the policy came into force in May.

Speaking last month about the legal challenge, she said: “It’s deeply upsetting and demoralising that Southwark council are not treating our case fairly and are making up their own rules that disadvantage us.”

Elizabeth Wyatt, a HASL member, said that following suspension of the policy, the council needed to conduct an urgent review of what had happened and provide an explanation to the public, adding: “We also ask the council to publicly publish their direct offers on Southwark Homesearch [the council’s property bidding website] for transparency and trust.”

Councillor Victor Chamberlain, leader of Southwark’s Liberal Democrat opposition, said: “Anyone who has tried to use the bidding system knows how unfair and hopeless it can feel. It’s another sign of housing failure that the Labour council has been forced to U-turn on its allocations policy following legal action.”

Cllr King said: “The review of our annual lettings plan is in response to an urgent shortage of homes we can offer our residents, including those who are homeless, combined with the recent legal challenge. The long-term shortage of social housing alongside spiralling rents in the private sector means that more and more of our residents need support.

“Despite Southwark’s extensive council housing build programme, the dire economic conditions over the past few years have brought all of these challenges to a critical point. The need to accelerate moving residents from Ledbury towers has caused even further pressure.

“We know that the number of homes people are waiting for far exceeds the number available in the coming months. As such, the council is taking action to consult on and deliver a new policy which is fit for purpose in these difficult circumstances and takes into account the current situation with housing supply, while providing full transparency.”

Pictured top: Southwark Council HQ in Tooley Street (Picture Google Street View)