Our Housing Strategy 2023-2028

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Barnet’s housing strategies and policies

In Barnet, we care for our people, our places and our planet. This means we are committed to tackling inequalities, building healthy communities and neighbourhoods and providing good-quality, energy-efficient and affordable homes in the right places to meet diverse needs.

We believe that everyone deserves a safe place to live relax, work and develop roots within a community.

To achieve our housing aims under Our Plan for Barnet, we have created strategies to set out our commitments and the areas we will focus on:

  • Housing Strategy 2023-2028
  • Homelessness and Rough Sleeping 2023-2028
  • Tenancy Strategy 2023-2028
  • Housing Allocations Scheme

Housing Strategy

The council’s Housing Strategy accounts for major changes in the housing sector, wider demographic changes and economic changes. This includes rising housing and renting costs, the impact of COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis, and the sector-wide impacts of the Grenfell Tower disaster in Kensington and Chelsea and the tragic death of Awaab Ishak in Rochdale due to prolonged exposure to damp and mould.

There have also been changes to national and regional policy. This includes:

  • Fire Safety Act of 2021
  • Building Safety Act of 2022
  • Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023

The context in which we’re working creates a number of challenges and opportunities addressed in the themes of the council’s Housing Strategy. The themes are to:

  • Prevent homeless and supporting rough sleepers off the streets
  • Deliver the right homes in the right places
  • Ensure safe, sustainable council housing
  • Raise quality and standards in the private rented sector
  • Support living well but promoting healthy homes and wellbeing
Housing Strategy 2023-28 (PDF, 686KB)

Homelessness and Rough Sleeping

Becoming homeless is a traumatic event that can have long-lasting impacts on the health and wellbeing of those affected. Good housing helps a person manage their health, sustain a job, care for their family and contribute to their community.

Barnet Council’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy intends to further the council’s existing approach to preventing homelessness and focuses efforts on identifying new and innovative ways to respond to the challenges we are likely to face over the five years.

It also considers the Mayor’s London Housing Strategy and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities, as well as major changes in the housing sector. The themes of the strategy are to:

  • Prevent homelessness
  • Ensure a sufficient supply of accommodation
  • Provide support for people who are and have been homeless
Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy 2023-2028 (PDF, 464KB)

Tenancy Strategy 

Barnet Council wants those who are allocated social housing to see their homes as genuine places to settle. We want to ensure their rights are protected, that they’re housed in the most suitable accommodation and that they are provided with support and a home that will promote their health and wellbeing.

The Localism Act 2011 places an obligation on local authorities to have a tenancy strategy. It sets out expectations for all social landlords and provides guidance on the council’s preferred approach to tenure and affordability.

Through the Tenancy Strategy the council aims to:

  • Work with social landlords to meet the housing and support needs of residents
  • Set out expectation for social landlords in the development of their tenancy policies
  • Provide a clear development mandate for social housing developers
  • Promote the health and wellbeing of individuals
  • Build sustainable balanced cohesive communities
  • Align with strategies and policies to deliver the council’s aims, objectives, and vision
Tenancy Strategy 2023-28 (PDF, 376KB)

Housing Allocation Scheme

The Housing Allocation Scheme is the council’s policy for prioritising and allocating social housing within the borough.

The demand for social housing is much greater than the supply of social housing in Barnet. Housing has to be allocated to those with the most urgent housing needs, in line with the Housing Allocation Scheme.

The key aims of the Housing Allocation Scheme are to:

  • Meet the legal requirements placed on the council to give appropriate priority to applicants who fall under the Housing Act “reasonable preference groups” to ensure that social rented housing is let to those in greatest need
  • Provide a fair and transparent system by which people are prioritised for social housing
  • Promote the development of sustainable mixed communities
  • Recognise residents who make a contribution to their local community
  • Make efficient use of our resources and those of the private registered providers with social housing stock in the Barnet area
Housing Allocation Scheme (PDF, 631KB)