MD2209 Housing mobility schemes IT

Housing Moves, launched in May 2012, is the Mayor’s scheme to enable existing housing association and council tenants in London move from one borough to another (approved through MD522). Boroughs and housing associations contribute a proportion of their social housing lettings to a central ‘pot’, and their tenants and residents can then apply for the scheme and place a bid to move to one of the pooled properties.

Since its launch in May 2012, over 20,000 households have applied for the scheme with the number of new applications per year increasing. Over the same period, there have been 1,112 moves. In addition, the 68 lettings at the East Village secured for pan-London mobility were advertised and let through Housing Moves. A top slice of new build rented homes funded through the Mayor’s affordable homes programmes are let through Housing Moves.

Seaside & Country Homes (SCH) enables older social tenants to move out of the capital, freeing up around 150 homes each year which can then be used by social landlords to house Londoners in need. The scheme creates significant financial savings for London boroughs, and it provides a positive housing option to older Londoners. It was established by the Greater London Council in 1968 and it was devolved from the Department of Communities and Local Government to the GLA in 2011 (approved through MD558). Since 1 April 2013, SCH has been funded by the London boroughs on a fee-per-letting basis (approved through MD1070), and the GLA is in contract with every borough to deliver the scheme

Both schemes are underpinned by an IT system, the functionality of which includes the following:

• online customer applications (both schemes)
• properties advertisements and bidding (Housing Moves only)
• equalisation of properties contributed and moves in (Housing Moves only)
• the matching of applicants to properties (SCH only)
• reporting and monitoring tools (both schemes)
• arrangements for the top slice of new build affordable rented homes.

The IT for Housing Moves and, in its most recent incarnation, SCH was developed by Home Connections and is a much-enhanced version of their off-the-shelf choice based lettings system. Home Connections are currently sub-contracted by Insight Direct (UK) Ltd to provide hosting and support (at a fixed annual cost) and IT development work (as and when required, and as specified by the GLA, up to a maximum annual cost) for the service until March 2018 (approved through DD1302, DD1488 and DD2096).

This MD seeks approval to procure and fund IT hosting and support for the next three years, at a cost of up to £195,000. The fixed costs, for hosting and support, will be up to £105,000. On the basis of the requirements since 2012, it is highly likely that some IT development will be required each year, for new functionality to reflect changes in policy, practice and legislation. Approval is therefore also sought for funding of up to £90,000 for IT development. It is proposed that the new contract will be for the provision of hosting and support at a fixed cost, with the option for IT development if, as and when specified by the GLA up to a maximum cost. Expenditure on development will be reviewed on a quarterly basis.

The intention is to procure a contractor through the TfL Reseller Framework, with a three year contract that allows two one year extensions (subject to further approvals). The procurement needs to proceed as soon as possible, to provide certainty around the continuation of both schemes beyond 31 March 2018. This is needed because:

• the annual process whereby boroughs are invited and contractually commit to purchasing lettings for SCH during the following year will start in early December 2017
• IT development to enable a new priority for domestic abuse and sexual violence to be implemented (as outlined in the Draft London Housing Strategy 2017) is due to start in early December, ready to commence in early 2018.

It would not be prudent either to devote further resources to IT development or to enter into contractual arrangements with the boroughs, in the absence of certainty around the continued provision of IT for both schemes.

1. 1. The key objective is to enable Housing Moves and SCH to continue to operate, in order to deliver the policies and outcomes set out below and in section 4b.
   2. To enhance the user experience, it is also intended that during 2018/19 the public-facing webpages that are not already on the GLA website will be brought into London.gov.
   3. Corporate annual key performance indicators (KPIs) for the schemes are given in the table below.

Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as public authorities, the Mayor and GLA are subject to a public sector equality duty and must have ‘due regard’ to the need to (i) eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation; (ii) advance equality of opportunity between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not; and (iii) foster good relations between people who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not. Protected characteristics under section 149 of the Equality Act are age, disability, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and marriage or civil partnership status (all except the last being “relevant” protected characteristics).

The equalities aspects of the housing mobility schemes are set out in the following decisions: DD1488 and DD2096. It is considered that no new equalities considerations have arisen since those decisions were approved.

1. Key risks and issues

2. Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

4.1 The Draft London Housing Strategy, published in September 2017, contains the following policies relevant to the mobility schemes:

• • • The Mayor will work with councils and housing associations to ensure that social tenants who wish to move are supported to do so, in order to help free up larger homes, and enable Londoners to be closer to work opportunities or to secure urgent moves. This will include: i operating two schemes – Housing Moves and Seaside & Country Homes – to support social tenants who wish to move, and amending the former to prioritise tenants who are victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence. (Policy 4.2A)

4.2 In addition, the Homes for Londoners Affordable Homes Programme Funding Guidance states that:

2. • • In order to increase pan-London mobility in the affordable sector, and ensure new homes can meet a London-wide need, providers will be required to offer the nomination rights to 5 per cent of the new homes delivered on each site through the GLA’s Housing Moves scheme. On sites of 150 homes or more this will be increased to 10 per cent of lettings.
     • The Mayor is considering whether, in instances where the local borough is unable to nominate to a property, nominations could be made through the Housing Moves scheme.
3. Impact assessments and consultation

4.3 An independent evaluation of the first two years of Housing Moves, which included consideration of the equalities impacts of the scheme, was undertaken in 2015. The Department for Communities and Local Government, which previously operated the scheme, undertook an equalities impact assessment of Seaside & Country Homes in 2009 and a further assessment was subsequently undertaken by the GLA.

4.4 The London Housing Mobility Group (LHMG), which includes representatives from boroughs, housing associations and the sub regions, provides oversight of the Mayor’s mobility schemes. Its purpose is to:

• deliver the Mayor’s aim of enhancing mobility and choice in London’s social rented sector
• retain strategic oversight of projects and services put in place to meet this aim including governing any proposed expansions or alterations of these projects and services
• identify gaps in provision and resources, and seek to resolve these.

Specifically, the Group is responsible for providing governance for the Mayor’s mobility schemes according to the agreed policy frameworks. It is also responsible for ensuring the long term sustainability of the schemes and expanding them, where appropriate

This decision requests approval to expend up to £195,000 (between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2021) on IT hosting, support and development services for the Mayor’s housing mobility schemes.

The fixed costs, for hosting and support, are anticipated to be up to £105,000 with an estimated amount of up-to £90,000 for IT development, based on the requirements since 2012, as well as to reflect changes in policy, practice and legislation. Please refer to the table in Section 1.6 above for breakdown of costs per project.

The above expenditure will be funded from Housing & Land’s Management & Consultancy budget. The confirmation of the future years funding is subject to the finalisation and sign-off by the Mayor.

The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Mayor fall within the statutory powers of the Authority to promote and/or to do anything which is facilitative of or conducive or incidental to the promotion of social development within Greater London and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:

(a) pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;
(b) consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and
(c) consult with appropriate bodies.

In taking the decisions requested of him, the Mayor must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Mayor should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.

Officers must ensure that the IT hosting, development and support services be procured in accordance with the Authority’s Contracts and Funding Code and with the assistance of Transport for London’s procurement team. Furthermore, officers must ensure that appropriate contractual documentation be executed by both the Authority and the relevant contractor prior to the commencement of the said services.