Reform Locata Housing Lottery - Dakers (Hounslow Liberal Democrats)

Reform Locata Housing Lottery - Dakers

December 10, 2006 11:06 PM

Cllr Dakers is calling for a Locata system more like Premium Bonds where you're only notified when you've won, rather than the Lottery where you have to enter every week to be in with a chance of winning a prize

Following the release of Cllr Phil Andrews (Lead Member for Housing & Community Safety) review of the management agreement with Hounslow Homes, Cllr Andrew Dakers (Leader of Hounslow Liberal Democrats) is calling for a more radical commitment from the new Executive to the reform of 'Locata'. Cllr Dakers described the 'Locata' housing allocation system used by people across six boroughs as analogous to entering a West London Housing lottery.

Cllr Andrew Dakers said:

"The notion of greater user choice which drove Locata's design is a nonsense when demand massively outstrips supply by about 10:1. With over 1000 families often bidding for a single property using Locata is like entering a West London Lottery and increases the disappointment that comes with continual failure.

"For the thousands of vulnerable families that use the Locata system - on the web, by telephone, by coupon or by text - having to trawl through the magazine and bid every two weeks for a property when the Locata magazine is released, simply makes their lives a greater struggle.

"Beyond this I believe that the A, B, C, D banding system is far too crude and doesn't reflect the huge variety in peoples different circumstances or how long they have been on the housing lists."

Cllr Dakers went on to suggest the following reforms:

"We need to look at how Locata's banding system could be more graduated and incorporate new criteria. It should be possible for Locata users to save what type of properties, in what location, they want to bid on and the underlying computer system to then automatically place their bids.

"Users' could then review their bid settings every six to twelve months. This would make the Locata system more like Premium Bonds where you're only notified when you've won, rather than the Lottery where you have to enter every week to be in with a chance of winning a prize.

"Reform is now urgently needed and I urge Cllr Andrews to work with other West London boroughs to deliver a step change in Locata's usability."

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