Tenants are offered cash to downsize

TENANTS living in toolarge council homes in Nuneaton and Bedworth are set to be offered cash to downsize to help ease the growing waiting list.

Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council has revealed that the demand for council houses with at least four bedrooms is ‘extreme’.

According to a cabinet report, there are less than 100, four plus bedroom properties within the council’s housing stock and just over 150 applicants who need these homes on its waiting list.

Of these, 25 per cent of which are in the very highest band, suggesting extreme housing need, and some are in emergency temporary accommodation due to homelessness.

To help ease this demand, the council wants to ask tenants who are under-occupying four plus bedroom homes to consider moving to smaller accommodation.

They will be offered a ‘downsizing initiative’ - a payment of £2,500.

This, the council says, will cost less than the current money it is spending on emergency accommodation and will ensure that the waiting list is reduced while the existing tenants are in a house.

“This will then allow families that require that size of accommodation to be housed, which will have a positive impact on temporary accommodation costs.

“This will also apply to disabled adapted properties which are no longer required by the household.”

The ask to downsize will also apply to those who disabled adapted properties which are no longer required by the household.

The report goes on to explain that a new policy will be created: “The turnaround/churn of 4+ bed housing is rare, very infrequent and applicants will wait an exceptionally long time for this size of housing.

“Therefore, the purpose of this report is to seek approval of recommendations pertaining to the creation of Flexible Tenancies (Fixed Term Tenancies) for specific council housing stock, namely four and five bed houses and stock that has been significantly adapted for a disabled household.”

The flexible tenancies will be given to those tenants moving into a 4 plus bedroom property or disabled adapted property and means that, after five years, the council can end the tenancy if the families needs or circumstances change.

“The Policy outlines incentives that can be granted to tenants if they move to smaller accommodation and free up much needed family accommodation.

“It is clear that the General Fund will benefit financially by having the policies in place.”

Cabinet members will be asked to endorse the new policy, including the ‘downsizing initiative’, during a meeting today at the Town Hall.