Havering Council Defends Housing Scheme Amid Social Media Backlash

Key Points

• Havering Council defends its new Housing Allocations Scheme launched in September 2025 amid social media backlash, insisting the points-based system prioritises those in greatest need.
• The scheme protects existing qualifying applicants, favours long-term local residents who have lived in Havering for four out of the last six years, and fast-tracks high-need cases such as overcrowded families and people with disabilities.
• A surge in applications post-launch has increased processing volumes, prompting the council to streamline assessments, deploy additional staff including overtime, and reduce backlogs, with all high-priority cases set for completion by end of January 2026.
• Limited social housing stock remains a key challenge: last year, only 335 properties were available, including 104 two-bedroom, 97 three-bedroom, and just five four-bedroom homes.
• Accessible homes for those with mobility or medical issues are scarce due to high demand and few suitable properties for conversions.
• Broader housing crisis driven by rising private rents and shortages has increased homelessness, defined broadly to include overcrowded conditions, temporary stays with friends, hostels, and eviction risks.
• Council urges applicants to submit all required documents upfront to speed decisions and commits to more social rented homes, repurposing empty buildings, and supporting tenancies.

Havering (The Havering Daily) January 14, 2026 – Havering Council has robustly defended its new Housing Allocations Scheme against mounting social media criticism, emphasising that the updated points-based system ensures social housing reaches those in greatest need. Councillor Natasha Summers, Cabinet Lead for Housing Need and Climate Change at Havering Council, addressed misinformation circulating online, stating the policy prioritises long-term local residents and high-need cases like overcrowded families and individuals with disabilities. The council highlighted ongoing efforts to process a surge in applications despite a persistent shortage of available properties.

What Sparked the Social Media Criticism?

Social media platforms have seen a wave of negative comments targeting Havering Council’s Housing Allocations Scheme, prompting an official response from council leadership. As reported by The Havering Daily, these comments misrepresent the scheme and fail to account for the severe housing challenges facing councils nationwide. Councillor Natasha Summers told The Havering Daily:

“Unfortunately, some misinformation and negative social media comments were circulated online regarding Havering’s new Housing Allocations Scheme and I would like to address these comments.”

She further clarified that

“these comments do not represent the scheme accurately and do not reflect the significant challenges that are being faced by many councils in providing social housing across the UK.”

Following the backlash, Summers seized the opportunity to provide reassurance, noting:

“Following these social media comments, I wanted to take the opportunity to share an update on the new scheme and hopefully reassure residents that Havering is doing all it can despite the ongoing difficult circumstances.”

When Was the New Scheme Launched and What Changed?

The council’s new Housing Allocations Scheme launched last September 2025, introducing a points-based system to promote fairness and transparency in social housing allocation. According to Councillor Natasha Summers in her statement to The Havering Daily,

“The Council’s new Housing Allocations Scheme launched last September, to ensure available homes go to those who need them most.”

This update protects existing qualifying applicants on the register while strengthening commitments to residents.

A key feature rewards applicants who have lived in Havering for four out of the last six years, aiming to prioritise long-term locals. The Havering Daily reported Summers explaining:

“This updated policy introduced a points-based system to ensure that Havering’s social housing is allocated fairly and transparently, with existing qualifying applicants on the register being protected. Importantly, it also strengthens our commitment to residents by recognising applicants who have lived in Havering for four out of the last six years.”

How Does the Council Prioritise High-Need Applicants?

High-priority entitlement focuses on critical cases, including overcrowding and disabilities, with most such applications already assessed and active in bidding for properties. The council has streamlined processes to handle increased demand, deploying extra staff, overtime sessions, and cross-team cover. As detailed by Councillor Natasha Summers to The Havering Daily, high-priority applications receive expedited treatment:

“High-priority entitlement is provided in instances where there is consideration for overcrowding and disabilities. Most of these high-priority applications have already been assessed and are currently bidding for properties, with all remaining high-priority cases scheduled for completion by the end of January.”

To further accelerate decisions, the council advises applicants to submit all required documents in advance. Summers noted:

“To help the Council make decisions as quickly as possible when applications reach the assessment stage, we ask applicants to ensure they have provided all the required documents. By providing documents in advance, it helps the team progress applications without any delay.”

Guidance on determining need was shared with over 3,000 pre-existing register residents during the application process.

Why Is Social Housing Stock So Limited in Havering?

The scheme streamlines applications but cannot expand the finite supply of social housing, particularly larger or accessible properties. Last year, only 335 social housing properties were let to applicants: 104 two-bedroom, 97 three-bedroom, and a mere five four-bedroom homes. Councillor Natasha Summers highlighted this scarcity to The Havering Daily:

“While the new scheme has streamlined the application process. It unfortunately does not affect the overall supply of homes, as the number of social housing properties available remains very limited, particularly for larger homes, and homes for people with disabilities.”

Accessible homes face acute shortages due to demand outstripping suitable conversions. She added:

“Accessible homes are allocated to those with mobility or medical issues, but these homes are in short supply due to demand and only a limited number of properties being suitable for accessibility conversions.”

This data underscores the council’s stock challenges, mirroring national trends.

What Underpins Havering’s Housing Crisis?

Havering grapples with a broader UK housing crisis, exacerbated by soaring private rents and insufficient affordable homes, driving more residents into homelessness. Councillor Natasha Summers described the pressures to The Havering Daily:

“The reason for the limited number of social housing stock is that like many councils across the country, Havering continues to face a housing crisis. The rising cost of private rents, combined with a shortage of affordable homes, means more families and individuals are struggling to find somewhere safe and secure to live.”

Homelessness extends beyond rough sleeping to encompass overcrowded or unsafe conditions, temporary stays with friends or relatives, hostels, emergency shelters, and imminent eviction risks due to financial hardship. Summers elaborated:

“This has resulted in greater demand for housing as more residents becoming homeless with no other options available to them. Homelessness isn’t just about sleeping rough. It can be anyone who does not have a stable or suitable place to live. This can include families and individuals living in overcrowded or unsafe conditions, those staying temporarily with friends or relatives, those in hostels or emergency shelters and those at immediate risk of losing their home due to eviction or financial hardship.”

What Measures Is the Council Taking to Address the Crisis?

The council processes a significantly higher volume of applications post-launch, with measures yielding quicker decisions and backlog reductions, especially for high-priority needs. As per The Havering Daily’s coverage,

“The launch has resulted in a large increase in housing applications which means officers now have a higher volume to process. To accelerate progress, the assessment process has been streamlined, with additional staff deployed, including overtime sessions and cover from other team members. This has ensured that decisions are issued more quickly and cases are converted into live applications which has reduced the backlog, with a particular focus on high-priority applicants as per the needs-based assessment.”

Long-term commitments include building more social rented homes, repurposing long-term empty buildings, bolstering planning for affordable housing, safeguarding tenants from unfair evictions, and aiding tenancy sustainability. Councillor Natasha Summers concluded in her statement:

“Solving the UK housing crisis won’t happen overnight, but here in Havering we are committed to delivering more social rented homes, making better use of long-term empty buildings, ensuring our planning system supports affordable housing, protecting tenants from unfair eviction and helping people to sustain their tenancies and rebuild their lives.”

Who Benefits Most from the Points-Based System?

The system safeguards fairness by allocating based on assessed need, with protections for legacy applicants and bonuses for sustained local residency. No additional media reports beyond The Havering Daily’s exclusive with Councillor Summers were identified in coverage as of January 14, 2026, ensuring all details stem directly from this primary source. Residents facing high needs, such as overcrowding or disabilities, stand to gain fastest access, while the emphasis on four-out-of-six years residency underscores loyalty to Havering.