§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assistance his Department gives to local authorities to enable them to help children between the ages of 16 and 18 years to enter into tenancies for homes of their own; and what guidance it gives local authorities on this subject. [63468]
§ Mr. RaynsfordMy Department does not provide any specific assistance to local housing authorities to enable them to allocate tenancies in self-contained accommodation to 16 to 18-year-olds.
The Housing Act 1996 requires authorities to allocate social housing on the basis of housing need. A person aged 16 to 18 with dependent children would have to be given priority under an authority's allocation scheme. However, it is the practice of many local authorities to include under 18-year-olds on their housing registers only if the social services authority supports the application or if an adult is prepared to act as a guarantor for any tenancy allocated to the young person. 16 to 18 year olds who are unintentionally homeless and considered vulnerable for the purpose of the homelessness legislation are also required to be given priority under an allocation scheme. My Department's Code of Guidance on the Allocation of Housing and Homelessness, which is currently being revised, provides general guidance to authorities on these matters.