Southwark Council has drawn up a new set of proposed housing allocation rules, including a new band which would be unlikely to result in a housing offer
Same-sex siblings could be required to share a bedroom until the age of 20, while an additional council housing band could also be introduced under new proposals from Southwark Council.
The council says the introduction of a new Housing Allocations Scheme is necessary in “rebuilding confidence” in how it allocates its “scarce” social housing and ensures it meets its legal duties.
Southwark’s Housing Allocations Scheme sets out how the council provides council homes, along with who can join the Housing Register, and how decisions are made when allocating homes.
The new Southwark Housing Allocations Scheme 2026 is subject to executive approval at a meeting next week (September 15).
If approved, it will replace the current scheme which was introduced in 2013. A review of the new scheme would take place in 12 months.
More than 22,000 households have applications on the Southwark Housing Register, and 4,200 households are living in temporary accommodation.
In the year ending March 31, 2026, just 6 per cent of those on the register were allocated a social rented home in Southwark.
Cllr Reginald Popoola, Executive Member for Council Homes at Southwark Council, said the borough’s housing pressures are “more acute, more complex, and more urgent” than at any point in recent years.
These include rising homelessness, an ongoing shortage of genuinely affordable homes, an increased demand for temporary accommodation and “sustained pressure” on council finances.
Cllr Popoola said this has created a system that is “difficult for residents to understand and too stretched for officers to administer with the consistency, clarity and pace that applicants rightly expect”.
He added: “At the same time, the council must respond to a changed legal, regulatory and policy environment, including new statutory guidance, recent reforms to the private rented sector, and the clear concerns raised by the Regulator of Social Housing in its November 2024 judgement.”
The government’s social housing watchdog condemned the council in 2024 for “serious failings”, and said the existing policy “prevented prospective tenants from bidding on some available homes”.
Southwark, which is London’s biggest council landlord, received a C3 consumer grading, which is the second worst rating for consumer standards and told the local authority it needed to make “significant improvements”.
A council report setting out the proposed changes and recommendations for the new scheme has been published ahead of next week’s meeting.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has summarised the key changes to the policy below.
Same-sex siblings sharing bedrooms
Currently, same-sex siblings are expected to share a bedroom up to the age of 15. Those aged 16 and over are entitled to their own bedroom.
The council is proposing raising the age to 20, meaning that children of the same sex can be expected to share a bedroom up to the age of 20 – unless there is evidence that a separate bedroom is needed on medical or welfare grounds.
The council says raising the age would comply with the bedroom standard and the government’s guidance on social housing allocations for local authorities in England.
Higher priority for care leavers and armed forces
The council intends to move care leavers and eligible armed forces applicants into a higher priority band. They would move into Band A, the highest band possible.
A new band structure and the creation of Band E
The council is considering introducing a fifth council housing band called Band E, which would be the lowest priority band.
Those in Band E would be able to bid for properties advertised through Choice Based Lettings – but the council has said as it is the lowest band and reflects low housing need, it is “unlikely” that this band will be rehoused.
People in Band E would be secure tenants of Southwark Council who are seeking a transfer, but would not be placed in any of the above bands. It would also include any other person who is eligible for an allocation of social rented housing and who qualifies to join the housing register.
Currently, the four priority bands consist of Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, and Band 4. Under the new scheme, there would be Band A, Band B, Band C, Band D, and Band E, with Band A being the strongest priority.
Working in Southwark no longer a requirement
The council intends to scrap the requirement that applicant’s must work within Southwark to qualify for the housing register.
Additionally, those living in private rented accommodation outside of the borough under the prevention duty, relief duty, or following acceptance of the main homelessness duty, will still be able to remain on the housing register.
The council says this will ensure households are not disadvantaged in accessing the housing register solely because they have accepted suitable private rented accommodation outside the borough, and supports homelessness prevention and move‑on from temporary accommodation.
Priority stars and Good Tenant Award to be removed
Priority stars and the Good Tenant Award are set to be removed in the proposed scheme to ensure it is “as simple and transparent as possible” and based only on the housing needs of the household.
Currently, people can be awarded priority stars for working, volunteering or being a “good tenant”. Those who are awarded priority stars are given additional priority within their band.
Under the new plans, no additional priority will be given based on employment, volunteering or tenancy conduct.
Other proposed changes
- Adults who are homeless and working with officers on the Housing First support programme to be placed in Band A
- Homeless applicants to retain their priority if they take a private rented sector tenancy while waiting for an allocation of social housing
- Limit the number of offers of accommodation made to each applicant to two offers, including those living in temporary accommodation
- Rolling annual reviews of housing circumstances
- Using Local Lettings Plans and an Annual Lettings Plan alongside priority banding to support the fair and effective allocation of social housing
Consultation response
The council says it received 688 online responses to its consultation survey, mainly from residents living in Southwark.
It also received 482 email responses, most of which were responses from members of Housing Action Southwark & Lambeth (HASL). Responses also came from Southwark Law Centre and others.
According to the council’s consultation results report, a majority of people agree that working in the borough should be removed as an automatic qualification criteria – though some were concerned removing it would make local connection rules “too strict”.
Elsewhere, plans to remove non-housing related priority is supported by a majority of people, as is removing priority stars.
Almost three quarters of those who responded agreed that applicants should be required to confirm their housing circumstances every year – though some raised concerns about applicants who need support to apply.
HASL disagreed with proposals to raise the age for sharing a room for same-sex siblings to 20. HASL and Southwark Law Centre raised wider concerns in response to overcrowding, bedroom sharing, Local Lettings Plans, Annual lettings Plans and the priority given to homeless households.
A full breakdown of the consultation report can be found on the council website.
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