New guide aims to help councils with tenancy strategies

For immediate release: Tuesday 31 July 2012
Contact: Sophie Robinson, 020 7505 2038 or Sophie_robinson@Shelter.org.uk

NEW SHELTER GUIDE AIMS TO HELP COUNCILS WITH TENANCY STRATEGIES

A new guide has been launched today by Shelter to help councils develop local Tenancy Strategies to manage social housing in their area.

The Localism Act 2011 requires every local housing authority to publish a Tenancy Strategy by next January.  This will direct how councils and housing associations let social housing in the area, including the length of tenancy agreements that are offered. The Act gives social landlords the power to let properties on shorter fixed term agreements, with a minimum of five years and two years in exceptional cases, compared to the lifetime tenancies offered prior to the Act. 

Shelter’s guide pulls together all the evidence of the impact of different tenancy lengths on particular groups, including families, older people and people with physical disabilities, as well as information on the potential financial implications of different tenancies for local authorities.

The guide underlines the importance of using all the available evidence to inform Tenancy Strategies, and encourages consultation with local housing associations. In addition, it contains a set of useful examples of the kinds of questions councils should ask when developing their strategies.

Campbell Robb, Shelter’s Chief Executive said: “We recognise that local authorities have difficult choices to make with limited housing available, and hope this guide will help them to fully consider the potential impacts of different tenancies when making these choices, based on the global evidence available.

“In our experience we know that families need homes, not just a roof over their heads. Councils and housing associations must look out for families’ best interests when making decisions about how long they know they have a home for - something that can affect the stability and sense of pride in neighbourhoods as a whole.”

For a copy of the full guide visit http://shltr.org.uk/2ta