BIRMINGHAM RESEARCH
SEMINAR:
Social Lettings Agency
Research Project
20 October 2016
Social Lettings Agency Research: Session Overview
• Research background: How it came about, sponsors,
• National and Local Operational and Strategic Context:
• Provisional Findings: What is an SLA (Typologies work)
• About Let to Birmingham – case study in the research
• Customer and landlord input – October to November 2016
• Research outputs – report, toolkits, protocols
• Dissemination of the findings – December 2016 to February 2017
Social Lettings Agency Research: How it came about, its sponsors
Strategic Context: National Policy on Homelessness Duties
National Legal Framework Changes
 Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Act 2002 - amended by Localism Act
2011, introduction of suitability accommodation order for using private rented
housing to meet local housing needs
Policy Change:
 Council’s given the discretion to use of PRS to meet & manage housing needs
introduced – replacing the traditional means of discharging housing duties to
priority need homeless households through the allocation of social housing
Local Strategy
 BCC Homelessness Strategy 2012 – action to explore feasibility of establishing a
dedicated social lettings agency to make potential use of PRS housing options
Local Drivers: Response to impact of national policy agenda
Welfare Reform
 U35’s shared accommodation rate  LHA rents used for PRS to be applied in social housing sector
Supply of Accommodation
 Competition from other LA’s placing homeless households in B’ham
 Reduced social housing HCA directing investment focus on homeownership,
 Housing and Planning Act: Broader classification for “affordable housing”
including £250K starter homes.
 Rising levels of temporary accommodation
Quality Standards and Regulation of PRS
 21% contain category 1 hazards.
 42% fail decent homes
 22.5% lacking thermal comfort
Operational Context: Decline of Social Housing Supply
Local Context: Priority Homeless Needs (per 1,000 households)
Local Context: Meeting Housing Needs with declining social lettings
Local Context: Rising Use of Temporary Accommodation
Local Context: Homeless Applications from the PRS increasing
 Private Tenancy
Breakdown has
become a major issue
– should be a focus for
prevention activity;
 Shortages of move-on
accommodation for
those in TA
 Could do more
through partnership
work on shared
housing provision in
the rented sector
Definitions: What is a Social Lettings Agency?
 A Social Lettings Agency is a ‘stand-alone’ Council service that can offer a
range of housing management solutions to private landlords. The aim of a
Social Lettings Agency is to make accommodation accessible and
affordable for local households that are struggling to secure housing in
the private sector. In addition, landlords and tenants are able to access a
quality housing management service. (Hastings Council)
 Social lettings agencies help people access the private rented sector who
are homeless or on low-incomes (Shelter, Scotland)
Typologies: Research findings
Social Lettings Agencies –origins and core aims
“Social lettings agencies could be established to deal with all the private renting procurement required by
statutory agencies in a given area. These agencies should charge a standard management fee, and move
the housing benefit market away from a culture of ‘incentive inflation.” (Rugg and Rhodes 2008)
Mirroring International Trends – especially where social housing limited “a particular model of housingled innovation in the area of homelessness developed in Flanders”
“part of a movement to ensure adequate and affordable housing for vulnerable tenants through
socializing the private rented sector.”
Documented Studies
BELGIUM De Decker, P. (2002) On the Genesis of Social Rental Agencies in Belgium, Urban Studies
HUNGARY Hegedus, J., Horvath, V. and E. Somogyi (2014) The Potential of Social Rental Agencies within
Social Housing Provision in Post-Socialist Countries: The Case of Hungary, European Journal of
Homelessness
IRELAND Laylor, T (2014) Enabling Access to the Private Rented Sector? The Role of Social Rental Agencies
in Ireland European Journal of Homelessness
EUROPE FEANTSA (2012) Social Rental Agencies: An Innovative Housing-Led Response to homelessness
Typologies: Examples of different schemes
SOCIAL “this cannot be achieved through merely providing them with a roof over their head.” –
advocates wide range of services such as child care, employability advice to “assist people to take
control, be motivated and move forward”. (Crisis, 2015)

SmartLets is a result of a feasibility study commissioned by Worcester CAB & Worcester Housing and
Benefits Advice Centre)

Real Lettings in London: Real Lettings is set up by homelessness charity St Mungo’s Broadway. Uses a
leasing model, offering landlords three and five year leases . Tenants are offered a system of support
and coaching to help them improve their independence, maintain their tenancies and develop the
skills they need for a planned move into independent living.
COMMERCIAL “the terminology has come to be applied specifically to those schemes that operate on a
commercial basis and so generate income through their activities


Stockland Green Opportunity Housing Trust – purchasing property in the Ward to provide PRS
rentals with the twin objective of improving quality and management of the sector and providing
lettings to people in the local area
The Landlord Letting Network: (Sheffield) that specialises in letting properties to low-income
earners and tenants in receipt of housing benefit
Let to Birmingham: About the Case Study

2013: Birmingham Council plans to launch a
social lettings agency to provide access to
private rented property to people in housing
need.

In September 2014, Birmingham City
Council, in partnership with Omega Lettings
Limited, set up Let to Birmingham, the West
Midlands’ first social lettings agency.

Recruitment of Landlords began recruitment
of landlords - The services offered include a
check and find for prospective tenants;
professional viewings service; inventories
and tenancy agreements; full management
service and tenancy monitoring.
Let to Birmingham: case study findings (provisional)
Gender of tenants,
January 15 to June 16
Ethnicity of tenants,
January 15 to June 16
Age group of tenants,
January 15 to June 16
Let to Birmingham: case study findings (provisional)
 Making a contribution to
Homeless prevention - 200
homeless prevention since
being established.
 Serving a potential gap in the
market for younger households
– on low incomes with support
needs (mental health & learning
disabilities)
 Reducing some pressure and
costs on temporary
accommodation
Customer and landlord input: Research findings
Next Steps: October 2016 to February 2017
• Qualitative components – tenant and landlord interviews from
case study
• How to guides - toolkits, protocols for sourcing properties and
match tenants
• Final Report – encompassing all 5 elements of the research
• Dissemination: Regional peer learning events
Commissioning Centre of Excellence
Contact Information for presentation
Name: [email protected]
Senior Intelligence Officer
Strategy & Research Team