Allocations Policy

Our Allocations Policy outlines our approach to assigning our social housing properties in a fair and transparent manner, prioritising applicants based on housing need and waiting time, while also recognising contributions through employment and volunteering. We collaborate with Manchester City Council, allocating at least 50% of our vacancies to applicants nominated by the council under their Part VI Scheme for the Allocation of Social Housing.

The remaining vacancies are allocated according to our internal guidelines, which complement the council’s scheme. Prospective customers can apply for housing through the Manchester Move system, an arrangement between the council and most social landlords in Manchester, providing a centralised platform for housing applicants.

For more information, please read our Allocations Policy in full below, or contact us directly.

1.    POLICY PURPOSE

1.1    This Allocations Policy (“Policy”) aims to clearly set out guidelines on how anyone looking for a home with One Manchester (“OM”) will be considered and how our properties are allocated and let.

1.2    Our Policy aims to be fair and simple to understand. It is based primarily on a need to move and how long the applicant has been waiting, but also recognises: 
•    Applicants’ contributions through paid employment and volunteering. 
•    Applicants’ connections to local areas. 
•    The ability to release under-occupied homes. 
•    The need to tackle overcrowding. 
•    The need for One Manchester to ensure the best use of our stock.

2.    POLICY SCOPE

2.1    One Manchester works with the local authority, Manchester City Council (“the Council”) to enable it to fulfil its statutory obligations and regulatory requirements by a Nominations Agreement it has entered into with the Council. This requires OM to allocate at least 50% of its vacancies to the local authority for the nomination of applicants who are prioritised according to the Council’s own rules, i.e. Manchester City Council Part VI Scheme for the Allocation of Social Housing (“the MCC Scheme”).

2.2    This Policy relates to allocations of OM’s properties not covered by the Nominations Agreement OM has entered into with the Council, and so not allocated under the MCC Scheme. OM allocate up to 50% of vacancies to applicants according to the rules set out in this Policy, but this is intended to be read alongside the MCC Scheme. This means that, for OM’s vacancies not allocated under the MCC Scheme, the rules of the MCC Scheme still apply to prioritise applications, together with the additional rules contained in this Policy. However, in the case of any conflict between what is stated in the MCC Scheme and the rules set out in this Policy, the contents of this Policy will apply.

2.3    A summary of the MCC Scheme and general principles is made available through Manchester City Council offices, Manchester Move partners’ offices and at https://homes.manchestermove.co.uk.    The full version of the MCC Scheme is available for inspection at Manchester Town Hall. A copy of the MCC Scheme is also appended to this Policy at Appendix 1.

2.4    However, regardless of which set of rules is used to prioritise applications, the rules of property type and size entitlement set out in this Policy will apply when we are letting OM properties.

2.5    This Policy is for social housing only. Therefore, it does not cover the letting of market rent properties, or assignment of tenancies by mutual exchange or succession.

3.    RELEVANT LEGISLATION & REGULATION

3.1    Housing Act 1988 
Housing Act 1996 
Localism Act 2011 
Welfare Reform Act 2012
Immigration Act 2014
Regulator of Social Housing’s Consumer Standards including the Tenancy Standard, the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard and the Consumer standards Code of Practice.

4.    POLICY STATEMENT

4.1    This Policy covers the approach that OM takes to making decisions relating to allocations of its properties not covered by the Nominations Agreement with the Council.

There are 5 stages or aspects to allocations covered by this Policy:

Part 1 – Applications 
Part 2 – Assessment and prioritisation
Part 3 – Internal moves and use of discretion 
Part 4 – Property type and size entitlement 
Part 5 – How properties are allocated

Information about each of the above is given below.

5.    PART 1: APPLICATIONS

5.1    This part explains about making an application using the Manchester Move system, and the rules that apply.

5.2    One Manchester is a member of Manchester Move which is an arrangement between Manchester City Council and most social landlords in Manchester (“the Partnership”). The Manchester Move system makes it easy for people to look for social homes in one place by operating the Manchester Housing Register (“the Register”) - a common housing register which enables people to look for social homes across the city in one place.

5.3    All who wish to apply for a home with One Manchester (or with another landlord in the Partnership) are required to complete an online application through the website www.manchestermove.co.uk.

5.4    The Manchester Move website includes a list of the current Partnership landlords. Any applicant currently living in a property rented from one of those landlords will have their application held by that landlord. All other applicants will be randomly assigned a landlord to hold and assess their application. It does not matter in any way which landlord this is as all assessments are carried out consistently across the Partnership. Applicants can bid for OM properties regardless of which Partnership landlord holds their application.

Validation of applications

5.5    After registering on Manchester Move, applicants will have to provide the following for their application to be validated:

•    Two forms of identification for every adult in the moving group, one of which must include their National Insurance Number.
•    Proof of address for every adult in the moving group.
•    Proof of any child benefit for every child in the moving group, in the name of one of the adults in the moving group.
•    If a member of the household is pregnant, the MATB1 maternity certificate.
•    If overcrowded, the same evidence as above for all other members of the household, that is, adults and children those who do not intend to move but will remain in the present accommodation.  
•    Full and accurate responses to any supplementary requests for information.

5.6    Applications where no documents have been submitted within 31 days of registration will be automatically removed.

5.7    Once an application has been submitted applicants will be allocated to a band within 20 working days of receiving ALL the information required to process the application.

5.8    Where there is a need to visit an applicant or make further enquiries to confirm an applicant’s circumstances (to include the circumstances of any adult or child concerned with the application) the application will not be made live to enable bidding or receive offers until such a time as the applicant’s circumstances have been confirmed. If there is a need to visit an applicant, or for an interview to be arranged to clarify details contained on the form, arrangements will be made and confirmed with the applicant within 7 days. The final allocation to a band will be confirmed via email within 28 days of any such interview, visit, or the completion of further enquiries.

Change of Circumstances & Reviews

5.9    Applicants whose situation changes must log into their Manchester Move account and report a change of circumstances online. Depending on the change being reported this may require the application to be reassessed and further evidence supplied.

5.10    On an annual basis, applicants will also have to routinely confirm their details are up to date and accurate via the Manchester Move website. There is a prompt for this when logging into the website. Applicants failing to review their applications will be logged out of the system unless the review is completed (after the first prompt) and so will be unable to continue to place bids. If the review is not completed within 3 months, the application will be removed. Once removed applicants would then need to submit a new application.

Applications from Board members, One Manchester colleagues or close relatives

5.11    Applicants will need to declare on their application if they are, or are a relative of, a colleague, Board Member, Co-optee or Scrutiny Panel member of OM or any of the Housing Register Partnership. Applicants will be asked again at the time any offer is made.

5.12    The term ‘relative’ includes anyone living with the applicant as a partner or member of their household and the following relationships to the applicant (regardless of whether they live as part of the applicant’s household and whether they are natural/adoptive/step): parents; grandparents; aunts; uncles; sisters; brothers; children; daughter and son in laws; estranged spouses or partners.

5.13    Colleagues and Board Members of OM, Co-optees and Scrutiny Panel members and their relatives are as entitled as anyone else to apply to the Register and should apply/be treated in the same way as any other applicant. However, in terms of process we have created the following guidelines:

a)    Colleagues will not deal with their own applications for rehousing nor those of their relatives 
b)    Colleagues seeking rehousing services must ensure that they exercise proper professional discretion in dealing with the member of staff handling their application. The member of staff dealing with the application must exercise proper professional discretion in dealing with the colleague seeking rehousing.
c)    Colleagues and Board members are required to declare any potential conflict of interest. Board members must make a declaration on the Interests log and colleagues are required to complete a declaration of interest when granting a tenancy to an applicant who is, or related to, a colleague or Board member.
d)    Colleagues making allocations in such instances must evidence the Band and queue position of the applicant and seek the written authorisation of the Head of Neighbourhoods, or another OM Director in their absence.

Eligibility

5.14    It is the law that social housing must only be allocated to people who are eligible to be rehoused. The following are not eligible:

•    People who are “subject to immigration control”, unless they fall within a class prescribed by regulations as eligible. 
•    People who are not subject to immigration control but are nevertheless prescribed by regulation as being within a class of “persons from abroad” that are not eligible (this may include certain British nationals).
•    Any other person as prescribed by the Secretary of State.

5.15    At the point of applying all applicants are asked for information about their housing history and legal status, including whether they are persons from abroad or subject to immigration control. Persons from abroad and persons subject to immigration control can apply to be rehoused, but their eligibility must be verified before they can be allowed to join the Register. The Council carries out checks to establish eligibility to become a tenant under the MCC Scheme according to the relevant legislation.

Right to rent checks

5.16    ‘Right to rent’ checks were introduced by the Immigration Act 2014, whereby the landlord must not authorise an adult to occupy premises under a residential tenancy agreement if the adult is disqualified as a result of their immigration status.

5.17    OM does not need to carry out right to rent checks on allocations through the Nominations Agreement with the Council. These are considered ‘excluded tenancies’ as the Council (or one of the Partnership landlords on its behalf) has conducted the appropriate checks.

5.18    However, right to rent checks are conducted by One Manchester for all adult household members before any tenancy is allocated by One Manchester using this Policy. This means that, in addition to the applicant(s), any additional adults occupying the property will be required to prove their eligibility. The right to rent checks will be carried out in accordance with Government requirements and guidelines.

Qualification

5.19    Not everyone who is eligible to apply for rehousing will qualify to join the Register. A person making an application can be found not to qualify for any of these reasons:
•    They do not have at least two years’ continuous residency in Manchester; 
•    They have available financial resources and/or household income above the limits set;
•    They own a home anywhere in the world;
•    Their behaviour makes them unsuitable to be a tenant.

Each of these reasons is described in greater detail in the MCC Scheme.

5.20    OM use the same rules for qualification under its this Policy as described in the MCC Scheme. The same exemptions to the qualification rules described in the MCC Scheme (see the sub-section headed ‘Exemptions and exceptions’ within section 2 of Part 5 of the MCC Scheme)’ apply to this Policy, but additionally an exemption can be granted at the discretion of the Head of Neighbourhoods, for exceptional circumstances. Exceptional circumstances may include but are not limited to:

•    Threat to life where there is strong police evidence that an immediate move is required to protect the life of an applicant or a member of their household. 
•    Emergency cases where homes are damaged or destroyed by flood, fire or other disaster and it is not possible to repair the current home or repair will take such a long time that it would seriously disrupt family life. 
•    Households that, on strong police evidence and advice, need to move because of serious threats made to one or more members of the household, or where the continued occupation would pose a threat to the community. In such circumstances, it is expected that the threat is best addressed by any rehousing within the city being at the maximum possible distance from the original address consistent with reducing the risk.

The Rehousing Review List

5.21    The Partnership share a Rehousing Review List (“RRL”). This is a list of people who may not qualify for rehousing under the Council’s and Partnership allocation schemes or who may not have kept to their tenancy conditions at some time in either a current or former tenancy and therefore warrant further investigation as to their qualification and/or priority for rehousing.

5.22    OM will make sure that:

•    everyone added to the RRL by OM is informed exactly why they are listed and exactly how to request a review to be removed from the list 
•    there is a clear and easy way to get a review.

The review procedure is summarised below.

5.23    OM will enter people on the RRL in the following circumstances:

•    Former tenants of OM who owe a housing-related debt e.g. rent arrears, court costs, rechargeable repairs, furniture charge or storage – of £100 or over 
•    Current tenants of OM who apply for rehousing who, due to a housing-related debt (as set out in the previous bullet), according to the rules of the MCC Scheme do not qualify for rehousing or should have a reduced priority 
•    Current or former tenants of OM where a possession order was secured for any reason where the person has not satisfied OM that they will keep to the terms of a tenancy agreement in future (see further below)
•    Former leaseholders of OM who owe a debt of over £100 to OM 
•    Anyone whose previous behaviour has spoilt the peaceful enjoyment of any residential dwelling and who has not yet satisfied OM that they will keep to the terms of a tenancy agreement (see further below)
•    Anyone who has been violent to or threatened colleagues, customers or agents of OM and who has not yet satisfied OM that they will keep to the terms of a tenancy agreement (see further below)
•    Anyone with an unspent conviction for a community offence or who is the subject of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order or other Civil Restraining Order and who the Serious Offenders Panel are satisfied poses a significant risk to the well-being of any resident of Manchester by re-offending or breaching a Civil Order (the Serious Offenders Panel is a multi-agency risk assessment panel that is comprised of senior representatives from the Probation Services, Greater Manchester Police, the Council’s Directorate for Adults, social landlords in the Manchester Move Partnership and Manchester City Council Officers at a senior level)
•    Anyone who intends to live with a person in one of these categories. Applicants must sign an undertaking if they subsequently decide not to live with a person in any of the above categories in order to take forward a housing application
•    Anyone abandoning a property of OM (involving any level of unpaid rent and/or other housing-related debt) 
•    Anyone damaging an OM property involving any level of repair costs).

5.24    Applicants who are on the RRL for housing-related debt owed to OM who have since repaid the debt can ask for their entry to be reviewed at any time. The review will be carried out within 20 working days of request.

5.25    Any request to have an RRL entry reviewed, other than for housing-related debt, should be submitted in writing. This should include any grounds for the review and explaining why the person is now suitable to be a tenant. The person may be invited in for an interview. The review outcome will be determined by someone who was not involved in the original decision. The review outcome will be notified within 56 days of the request or such longer period as may be agreed with the applicant. 

5.26    A solicitor, advice worker or someone else can provide written comments to support the review on behalf of the person listed on the RRL, as long as the listed person signs their name on the comments to show they agree with them. A solicitor, advice worker or someone else may also attend a review interview with the listed person at the listed person’s request.

5.27    Former tenants of OM who are on the RRL for reasons other than housing-related debt will need to demonstrate at least two years good behaviour and sign a good behaviour undertaking before being considered again for housing with OM. 
The types of behaviour that would tend to show this include:

•    Complying with terms and conditions of their current tenancy agreement
•    Not causing antisocial behaviour in the neighbourhood of their current property 
•    Not being engaged in criminal activity in the locality of their current property (or other criminal behaviour if that is likely to affect their neighbours or the neighbourhood).

The types of behaviour that would not tend to show this include:

•    Not complying with terms and conditions of their current tenancy agreement
•    Causing antisocial behaviour in the neighbourhood of their current property
•    Being engaged in criminal activity in the locality of their current property or other criminal activity or behaviour if that is likely to affect their neighbours or the neighbourhood.

5.28    If someone applies for rehousing with OM and their name is already listed on the RRL by another landlord, OM will inform them of their exclusion and who they need to contact to request a review.

6.    PART 2 ASSESSMENT AND PRIORITISATION

6.1    This part explains how OM assess the application and place it in a priority band, and contains details of the One Manchester Award rules.

6.2    OM use the same banding structure and definitions as described in the MCC Scheme. This ensures OM recognises and responds to Manchester’s housing needs, is easier for customers to understand and avoids unnecessary complications by ensuring a continued close alignment with the Council’s policy aims.

6.3    There are 5 priority bands. Applications are placed in the appropriate band according to assessed need. For a full explanation of the criteria for each award please refer to the MCC Scheme.

The One Manchester Award

6.4    OM recognises the importance of an individual’s connection to the place they live and the positive contributions made by those in paid employment or volunteering, both in terms of sustaining their own tenancy and helping to create a thriving local community.

6.5    For that reason OM’s policy additionally includes the One Manchester Award which has two distinct elements of Contribution and Connection. Any applicant can claim entitlement to either or both of these elements by answering the relevant questions as part of their application. The Connection element can be claimed for multiple different areas.

6.6    The One Manchester Award does not grant any additional priority or change the applicant’s band. Instead the Award means that certain properties advertised on Manchester Move will be ‘restrictively labelled’ so that only applicants with either the Contribution element, or the Connection element to the area the property is located, or both these elements, are able to place bids.

6.7    The size, type and location of properties restrictively labelled to applicants with the One Manchester Award will be determined in accordance with OM’s Local Lettings Plans which will be reviewed regularly and updated on OM’s own website - https://www.onemanchester.co.uk/

6.8    To claim the One Manchester Award a member of the household needs to meet any one of the following conditions:

A.    Contribution element 
•    Currently working for a minimum of 16 hours per week
•    Currently volunteering for a minimum of 10 hours per month and has been doing so for at least 6 months

B.    Connection element
•    Be an existing resident of an OM area 
•    Be a past resident of an OM area for 3 or more of the past 5 years 
•    Working in an OM area 
•    Have children in full time education in an OM area
•    Have immediate family in an OM area – defined as either (natural, adoptive or step) parents or children (including grown up children over the age of 18) 
•    Be providing or receiving care in an OM area

6.9    For the purposes of the Connection element, “an OM area” is defined as any Council ward in which OM has social housing. Applicants will be entitled to bid for OM properties in that ward and the adjacent surrounding wards.

7.    PART 3: INTERNAL MOVES AND USE OF DISCRETION

7.1    This part covers the circumstances where:

•    an existing OM resident wants to move to another OM property; and 
•    OM could exercise its discretion outside of the usual rules that apply in this Policy.

Applications from current One Manchester tenants and residents

7.2    Existing tenants of OM can apply to move. They are known as transfer applicants and must meet the following criteria:

•    Not have rent arrears or other housing-related debt (examples given above in the section headed ‘The Rehousing Review List’) over the limit which disqualifies them for rehousing according to the rules detailed in the MCC Scheme. 
•    Have a current agreement with OM in place to repay any outstanding rent arrears or housing-related debt (examples given above in the section headed ‘The Rehousing Review List’). 
•    Pass a property inspection – both internal and external.
•    Not be subject to any current or impending legal action for rent arrears, anti-social behaviour or any other reason unless authorised by the relevant manager.
•    Not be listed on the RRL.

7.3    If any of the above applies the application will either be placed in Band 5, or will not qualify, and any offer of rehousing made will be withdrawn, other that at the discretion of the Head of Neighbourhoods. See also the below section “Head of Service Discretion”.

Starter tenants who have been a tenant for less than a year can apply for rehousing. However their application will have reduced priority and be placed in Band 5 unless there has been a serious change in their circumstances since they took up the tenancy which requires addressing, e.g. fear of violence. See also the below section “Head of Service Discretion”.

7.4    Existing tenants and residents living in One Manchester homes will be assessed according to the same rules as all other applicants, as explained in this section. However OM recognises that sometimes specific exceptional housing needs or concerns may arise within its own properties which need resolving by an internal move within its own stock more urgently than the banding system and bidding process would otherwise allow. Applications of this nature will be considered on an individual basis by the Neighbourhood Manager with responsibility for allocations with input from relevant colleagues and teams. See also the below section “Head of Service Discretion”.

Head of Service Discretion

7.5    For any exceptional circumstances that may arise, which will be considered on a case by case basis, the Head of Neighbourhoods has the discretion (“Head of Service Discretion”) to:

•    Override the criteria which would make an applicant not qualify or have a reduced priority. 
•    Award priority under any Band or amend the Band award date. 
•    Approve direct offers of accommodation. 
•    Override the rules on property type, size entitlement and who can be included in a moving group.

7.6    Examples of where Head of Service Discretion may be used include, but are not limited to:

•    Where a personal tragedy has occurred in the home. 
•    Where an applicant disqualified due to rent arrears resulting from welfare reform needs to downsize.
•    Where there is a need to move to a very specific locality or property type which is rarely available. 
•    Where a long-term resident family member is left in occupation of a property on the death of the tenant but does not have the right to succeed the tenancy. 
•    Where young children are living in a multi-storey flat as a result of natural growth of the family.
•    Where there is significant overcrowding.
•    Where the tenant is being matched to a property that is designed or adapted to meet specific needs.
•    Where OM is housing tenants together appropriately when allocating shared properties.

7.7    For the avoidance of doubt, any Head of Service Discretion applied under this Policy will only be valid under OM’s own allocations policy and will not apply to the MCC scheme. This means it can only be taken into account for the up to 50% of tenancy allocations OM makes under its own rules.

7.8    Any use of this discretion will be reported to Leadership Team on a quarterly basis.

8.    PART 4: PROPERTY TYPE AND SIZE ENTITLEMENT

8.1    This part covers the property criteria that OM apply when considering applications.

Property Entitlement

8.2    OM aims to make the best use of available stock whilst responding to local need when letting properties. It also looks to take into account the affordability of the offer made in terms of size entitlement and qualification for Housing Benefit/the housing costs element of Universal Credit. Appendix 1 identifies the type and size of household composition that is eligible for the stated property type. Working households or others who are exempt from the under-occupation charge may under occupy non-family type property by one bedroom only and subject to an affordability assessment.

The Bedroom Standard

8.3    The statutory guidance “Allocation of accommodation: guidance for local housing authorities in England” (MHCLG, 2012 as updated) recommends using the bedroom standard to assess the number of bedrooms needed by applicants for social housing. This is the standard used to determine bedroom need in the MCC Scheme, and this Policy setting out OM’s own allocations policy adopts the same standard.

8.4    The bedroom standard in the statutory guidance states that a separate bedroom should be allocated to:

a)    a married or cohabiting couple 
b)    an adult aged 21 years or more 
c)    a pair of adolescents aged 10 to 20 years of the same sex 
d)    a pair of children aged under 10 regardless of sex

8.5    In addition, OM will allocate a separate bedroom to:

a)    a pair of children/adolescents of the same sex where one is aged 10 to 20 and the other is under 10 
b)    any person under 21 in any case where they cannot be paired with another occupier of the dwelling so as to fall within (c), (d) or (e) above

8.6    OM will treat an application with someone who is pregnant by 28 weeks or more as though having another child and allocate an additional bedroom if required under this standard.

9.    PART 5: HOW PROPERTIES ARE ALLOCATED

9.1    This part covers the process of bidding for properties and offers and refusals.

Property Adverts & Bidding

9.2    Most OM properties are advertised on the Manchester Move website, for a minimum period of 6 calendar days. The advertising period can start on any day of the week. During this period applicants can place a bid for the property if they are eligible to do so. Applicants can have a maximum of 3 current property bids at any one time, across all partner organisations. This does not include bids previously placed for adverts which have now closed.

9.3    At least 50% of OM properties must be allocated to applicants nominated by Manchester City Council, under the Nominations Agreement. This is achieved by advertising (at least) half of OM’s available properties under the MCC Scheme’s rules and the other half (or smaller proportion) under OM’s rules set out in this Policy. The rules being used are clearly stated on the advert and this determines the order of priority of the shortlist of bidders when the advertising period ends.

9.4    If OM’s rules are being used the property may also be restrictively labelled in accordance with the Local Lettings Plan for that area so that only applicants with the applicable One Manchester Award can place a bid. How this works is explained in detail above.

9.5    Whichever rules are used to shortlist the bids, applicants can only bid for properties for which they are eligible for under OM’s rules on size and property type, e.g. a single person cannot bid for a three bedroom house.

Offers and Refusals

9.6    After the bidding closes OM will offer the property to the highest eligible applicant on the shortlist in band and date order. If the offer is refused it will be offered to the next in line, and so on. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the property meets their requirements before placing a bid. A reasonable offer is defined as one the applicant has placed a bid for, which was advertised accurately and meets their housing needs. Any refusal resulting from a failure to properly read the information contained in the advert will not be accepted as a reasonable refusal. An applicant who makes two unreasonable refusals of suitable offers will result in their application banding being demoted to Band 5.

9.7    Adapted properties will be allocated to the highest eligible applicant who has been assessed to require the adaptations, even if they are not the highest eligible bidder overall. Bids from applicants who do not need the adaptations will be bypassed. Offers will be made to qualifying applicants in band and date order.

Direct Offers

9.8    Some properties, at OM’s discretion, will not be advertised and will be directly offered to eligible applicants.

9.9    Examples of where this may happen include for internal transfers such as those listed in the ‘Head of Service Discretion’ section of this policy, or where a number of properties are pledged by OM to support specific strategic initiatives to tackle homelessness, rough sleeping, or to support young people leaving care. Where a direct offer is agreed at the request of the Council this will be regarded as a nomination under the terms of the Nomination Agreement.

Offer conditions

9.10    Offers made by OM are provisional until a pre-tenancy assessment has been completed. OM’s Tenancy Policy explains the type and length of tenancy which will be offered depending on the applicant’s situation, along with the requirements of the pre-tenancy assessment. This includes a household budget assessment to ensure the tenancy is affordable and a thorough evaluation of the applicant’s circumstances to ensure any support needed to help the new tenancy succeed is in place.

9.11    Offers may be withdrawn by OM ahead of granting the tenancy if any condition of the pre-tenancy assessment is not met.

10.    COMPLAINTS

10.1    If a tenant, applicant or potential applicant is unhappy about a decision in relation to this Policy, they should first follow our complaints process. The process is outlined in One Manchester’s Complaints Policy.  If they are still not satisfied, they may then take the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman.

11.    RESPONSIBILITES

11.1    The Head of Neighbourhoods is responsible for ensuring this Policy complies with legislative and regulatory requirements.

11.2    Managers and colleagues who deal with the allocation of properties are responsible for implementing this policy.

12.    EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT

12.1    One Manchester promotes a diverse and inclusive environment for our customers and colleagues to thrive. We are committed to enhancing a culture that respects individuals, appreciates difference and allows everyone regardless of background to reach their full potential.

12.2    We accept our responsibility to comply with equalities legislation and regulatory requirements and aim to do more. We believe, everyone requires access to the same opportunities. Through our behaviours, we aim to challenge and remove systemic barriers to equal opportunities and reduce the likelihood of all forms of discrimination, harassment, and victimisation within our organisation and our communities.

12.3    We are committed to providing excellent customer services, which are fair, equitable and inclusive. As such, we will endeavour to understand and make any reasonable adjustments required for customers in line with One Manchester’s Reasonable Adjustment Statement, and Reasonable Adjustment Policy and the Equality Act 2010.

13.    EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT

13.1    A full Equality Impact Assessment has been undertaken and the following risks identified:
•    Age restrictions
•    Local lettings policies 
•    31 day deadline for submission of documents (part of Manchester Move application system)
•    Two years continuous residency within Manchester
•    Those who have been pregnant for less than 28 weeks.

13.2    However, these risks are outweighed by the need for the Allocations policy and the EQI  deemed that the policy allowed people from different social backgrounds the opportunity to gain a home.

14.    MONITORING AND REVIEW

14.1    Compliance with this policy shall be monitored by Head of Neighbourhoods. We will review the impact of this policy on customers with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, and in accordance with the requirements in relation to equality and diversity under the Regulator of Social Housing’s Consumer Standards.

14.2    The number and nature of allocations will be monitored and reported on a regular basis.

14.3    In particular, the following data will be reported and updated quarterly to support the development of the Local Lettings Plans for each place area:

•    Area stock profile 
•    Lets by band, property type and bedroom size 
•    Percentage lets to homeless households 
•    Percentage of lets to applicants with the One Manchester award – with a breakdown of contribution/connection themes.

14.4    This Policy shall be reviewed every 3 years.

14.5    The Head of Neighbourhoods will be responsible for initiating a review of this policy.

15.    CONTACT PERSON

15.1    The Head of Neighbourhoods has responsibility for the effective delivery of this policy.

16.    ASSOCIATED POLICIES AND DOCUMENTS

16.1    Internal Documents:
•    Tenure Policy 
•    Adaptations Policy 
•    Reasonable Adjustments Policy
•    Complaints Policy 
•    Inclusive Access Strategy

16.2    External Documents: 
•    Housing Act 1988 
•    Housing Act 1996 
•    Equality Act 2010
•    Localism Act 2011 
•    Welfare Reform Act 2012
•    Immigration Act 2014