The original Homeless Discharge into the Private Rented Sector Policy was approved by CEB in Feb 2013.  Following a Supreme Court judgement it needs to be reviewed in order to ensure that the policy reflects the changes to legislation and practice.

The review has resulted in the following changes:

The Council will usually consider a Private Sector Offer to homeless applicants. The 2013 policy explains the criteria to be used when considering whether an out of area offer would be considered suitable. It is clear from the Supreme Court Judgement (Nzolameso v Westminster 2015) that the 2013policy places insufficient emphasis on the disruption to a child’s education that could occur whether or not that child is approaching GCSE exams. The key change to the 2016 policy is to reflect this and ensure that disruption to a child’s education and support is considered and addressed in decision making.

There are some additional minor changes to the preamble and explanation to the criteria Oxford City Council considers in all cases. There are also changes to reflect the improved standards of accommodation in any accommodation that the Council offers to homeless applicants in the private sector and a revised definition of fit and proper landlord.

The updated policy can be found here.