Response to the GLA mobility consultation

In December 2010 the GLA published a consultation paper on proposals to create a pan-London mobility scheme for London’s social tenants. Such a scheme would allow social renters anywhere in London to apply for a home in a different borough.

London Councils is supportive of the need for a mobility scheme in London and recognises the impact such a scheme could have on the opportunities open to social tenants.

In our response we offered support for a scheme which:

• Included a small proportion of relets in every participating borough, we proposed five per cent.
• No set up or running costs for boroughs
• A governance role for the HCA London board

Ensuring the scheme is seen as fair by both tenants and landlords is essential and best achieved by:

• Information on how homes are allocated being made easily available to tenants.
• Homes of different sizes being made available through the scheme, though we recognise that homes of five or more bedrooms are extremely scarce and for that reason should not be included.
• The allocation of homes being closely monitored, so that if residents of any particular borough happen to access a disproportionately high number of homes this could be retrospectively balanced in future bidding rounds.
• All landlords entering the scheme under the same conditions, both in terms of the proportion of homes they include and the access their tenants have to homes in the scheme.
• Both existing and prospective tenants being able to bid for cross-borough moves using a CBL scheme. In all cases those with the highest priority should secure the property.

However, we have some concerns about the GLA’s proposals, including:

• Securing greater opportunity for social tenants to move is a separate issue from the ongoing need to resolve how all boroughs can best secure nomination rights to new developments, particularly those of strategic significance to the region. We believe that attempting to tackle both issues through the creation of a mobility scheme, rather than focussing on the former, is not the best approach at this stage.
• Existing tenants should be able to maintain the terms and conditions of their tenancy if they move to a new home.