Independent Living Schemes
It is essential that the social housing schemes are successful, and our housing estates are attractive places where people want to live. It is vital to encourage housing schemes to be mixed, catering for a range of needs and aspirations. It is important for Gravesham to review our existing stock with the aim of establishing a balanced and sustainable community as well as meeting housing need within the borough.
Local Lettings Plans are also designed to make social housing available to a wider range and variety of households, rather than concentrations of specific groups to ensure they can contribute towards balanced and sustainable communities.
Over time with various social and health care improvements, increases in the working pension age, changing societal norms and the Council's ageing and dated stock, there has been a reduction in demand for residents at the age of 55/60 years old. It is evident that a lot of individuals are working well into their 60s and are much more agile than when these schemes were first conceived.
The current eligibility criteria for independent living accommodation are outdated and as a result the current needs on the Councils housing register do not meet the criteria set for Independent Living Service or the wider Housing Directorate.
These Lettings Plan sets out the changes the Council are making to our Independent Living Schemes that are owned and managed by Gravesham Borough Council. The plan is designed to support sustainable lettings in accordance with the Kent Sustainable Communities Protocol and in line with the Councils Allocations Scheme.
Justification for the scheme
In accordance with Gravesham’s Allocations Policy, this Local Lettings Plan is for the letting of independent living homes There are a number of reasons as to why this Local Lettings Plan is needed, namely, to address the following:
Increased vulnerability of residents
The council recognises that there are younger people on the housing register that do have medical, and welfare needs or additional support needs that are more suited to this type of housing.
Vacancies in the scheme
There is difficulty letting some vacancies within independent living with its current criteria. The council is under pressure to fill voids as when left empty this means a loss of rental income and full council tax costs.
Description of the targeted units
There are 610 units of independent living with 20 blocks. These units range from bedsits, one and two bed homes on a range of levels. The schemes covered by this LLP are as follows:
- Claremont Place;
- Chichester Rise
- Beatrice Gardens
- Merston Court
- Pegasus Court
- Mike Spring Court
- Gravesham Court
- Portreeve Court
- Longferry Court
- Chinnery Court
- Blenheim Grove
- Homemead Close
- Nightingale Close
- Cleveland House
- Johnson Close/Kennedy
- Racefield Close
- St Gregorys Court
- Romney Road/ Rembrandt Drive
- Springvale Court/Orchard Road
- Shears Green Court;
Aims of the Lettings Plan
The following sets out the objectives of the Plan are:
- To establish a balanced community, by letting homes to a mix of applicants reducing the minimum age criteria for a home.
- To ensure that homes can be re-let and do not remain vacant for long periods of time.
Allocations and Lettings Approach
The properties will be advertised through Kent HomeChoice scheme and a link to the LLP will be included in the advert.
Interested applicants will need to be registered and accepted onto the Housing Register. Applicants need to show that they:
- have a housing need because of the physical condition of the present home; or
- there is a medical or social reasons for wanting to move, such as poor health, disability, isolation from friends and family
To be accepted for any independent living scheme in the borough, a needs and risk assessment will be carried out to ensure eligibility.
When vacant properties are advertised, applicants should bid in the usual way. At the close of bidding, a shortlist of applicants who have placed bids will be produced.
Properties may not be allocated to the highest bidder as the successful applicant would need to meet the criteria stipulated in the Lettings Plan. In the event of two or more applicants sharing the priority band, their registration date order will be used to determine priority.
Priority
Gravesham Borough Council will allocate the homes in line with Gravesham Borough Council’s Housing Allocation Scheme and the Local Lettings Plan.
Priority will be given to households over the age of 55 years old who are eligible and have a housing need to move which could include on medical or welfare grounds or overcrowding.
Should there be insufficient demand from households over the age of 55 years old, the Allocations Service will review the shortlist to consider anyone over the age of 45 that has a medical and welfare need or requires support and signposting to live independently.
For any two bed properties, families with a medial/welfare need will be considered.
Shortlisting
Where applicants have expressed an interest in vacant properties by placing a bid, the Council’s Allocations Team will verify the case and carry out the following checks:
- Applicants and members of the household will not be the perpetrators of serious and/or ongoing nuisance or anti-social behavior at their current home or had any legal action as a result of nuisance or anti-social behavior taken against them including a Notice of Seeking Possession.
- Applicants will not have been evicted for nuisance or anti-social behavior from any previous addresses. Discretion may be exercised if the applicant can show that they have over a period of not less than 2 years rectified their behavior.
- Applicants and members of the household will not have a recent criminal conviction which will impact upon the management of the tenancy or the local community. In such instances, a risk assessment will be completed.
- Applicants will not be in rent arrears or Council Tax arrears for their current home. If arrears are because of a delay in Housing Benefit such that a Housing Benefit or Universal Credit such that a Housing Benefit or Universal Credit payment is owing equivalent to the whole of the arrears, applicants will need to show this is the case and that they have dealt with their claim appropriately and are paying any estimated contributions (e.g. non-dependent deductions) regularly.
- Applicants will not have been evicted for rent arrears from a previous home.
- Applicants will not have any outstanding or current tenancy notice for any breaches of tenancy.
Role of Gravesham Borough Council
- Validate shortlist of applicants
- Carry out the verification of potential nominees
- Monitor the Lettings Plan on an annual basis to ensure it remains viable
Monitoring of the Lettings Plan
The council will monitor the impact of this Local Lettings Plan to assess effectiveness and to ensure it does not discriminate directly or indirectly on any equality grounds. Initially a six month review and then annual.
Complaints Process
If any applicant that is eligible to be rehoused under the Local Lettings Plan is unhappy with the process, then complaints should be made in the first instance to allocations@gravesham.gov.uk
This Local Lettings Plan was agreed by Director (Housing) 10 October 2024.