§ 31. Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on Government policy in respect of neighbourhood housing allocation. [63596]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Housing Act 1996 requires local housing authorities to allocate housing on the basis of housing need. Specifically, households falling within certain prescribed priority categories must be given 'reasonable preference' in an authority's allocation scheme. These categories include families with dependent children, households with medical or welfare needs for settled housing and certain homeless people. Our policy is to encourage local authorities to have allocation policies which meet housing need in their areas, create sustainable communities and ensure efficient use of stock.