Action for Housing criticises Chief Minister’s role in direct housing allocations
Action for Housing has hit out at the Chief Minister’s involvement in direct housing allocations, which was highlighted in the 2018 - 2019 Principal Auditor’s Report.
The Government had previously said the Chief Minister had “acted in clear-cut cases of serious risk and abuse, intervening only where the situation was sufficiently urgent to require immediate action.”
But in response Action for Housing said there are many cases which are extremely urgent, including people in the Social A+ and the Medical A+ categories who have waited for years and “continue to languish, yet the CM has not intervened for them”.
“Yet, we are reminded of the case that Action for Housing denounced publicly in September 2021 in which a former homeowner was allocated a government flat thanks to the involvement of the Chief Minister,” the group said.
“Previous homeowners who have had to sell their homes have to face an uphill struggle to become eligible to be placed on the housing waiting list.”
“Some never become eligible, and those who do, must wait years before being given a government flat.”
“This particular case did not have to wait and was not a vulnerable or urgent case as described by the Chief Minister.”
Action for Housing called this a case of “blatant nepotism” adding that in their view, Chief Ministers should not get involved in the allocation of government housing.
“The Housing Department’s administration, HAC, is the body responsible for the allocation of government housing, and urgent and serious cases must be referred to and handled by the Housing Allocation Committee,” the group said.
“These rules are set in order to remain fair for everyone and should not be broken or overridden.”