Reforming Access to Social Housing

Spotlight

Written by Kim Parsons

29/8/25

The government has officially removed the “local connection” test from social housing allocations for care leavers under 25 and survivors of domestic abuse.

Now, unless you’ve worked closely with people affected by this, or within housing allocations, you might not realise just how big this is. But for those of us who have sat across the table from someone feeling completely stuck someone desperate for a safe, stable place to live and constantly hitting a wall this isn’t just a policy update. It’s a lifeline.

And more than that, it’s a powerful moment of recognition. Recognition that the way we’ve been doing things hasn’t always served the people who need us most.

What Was the Local Connection Test? And Why Did It Hurt the Most Vulnerable?

The local connection rule has long been used by councils when deciding who qualifies for access to social housing in their area. It generally meant that unless you had a significant connection to a borough, by living, working, or having family ties there, you’d be pushed down the list or ruled out altogether.

I understand why it was brought in. On paper, it was about fairness. About prioritising people with a stake in the community. But the reality? For some, it became a gate that never opened, no matter how desperate their situation.

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For Care Leavers

If you've ever worked with a young person transitioning out of care, you'll know just how delicate that time is. There's so much pressure to "become independent," to manage bills, hold down a job, maybe go into education, all without the stability or support that many of us take for granted.

Now imagine being told, as a care-experienced young person, that you don’t have a local connection because you were moved around the system. That despite being in care in a particular borough, you weren’t technically “from” anywhere long enough to qualify for help. Or worse, being told that to access housing, you need to go back to the area you were placed in even if that place holds painful memories or no support network at all.

I’ve worked with organisations that support young people through this transition. I’ve seen how this one rule could stop someone from moving forward. It tells them: “You don’t belong anywhere.” And that message, especially at such a formative age, can have lasting consequences.

For Survivors of Domestic Abuse

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This is perhaps the most heartbreaking one. Survivors of domestic abuse are already being forced to leave their homes, often with little notice, limited belongings, and even less emotional support. They do everything right, they escape, they seek help and then the system tells them: “Sorry, you can’t live here. You’re not local.”

Imagine fleeing violence and then being told to return to the same borough where your abuser still lives, because that’s where you’re "connected." It’s retraumatising. It’s dangerous. And it's exactly the kind of thing that makes people stay in unsafe situations, because the alternative, homelessness, instability, rejection, feels worse.

This change finally acknowledges that safety must come before geography.

Why This Change Means So Much

When I read that this test had been officially scrapped for these two groups, my first reaction was: about time. But the more I sat with it, the more I realised how much it represents a shift in how we think about vulnerability and how systems should respond to it.

For too long, people in housing crisis have been treated as problems to manage, rather than individuals with stories, histories, and pain. This small change says: “We see you. We hear you. And we’re willing to do better.”

From My Side of the Table

Working in housing recruitment, I’m privileged to speak every day with passionate professionals in the sector, housing officers, tenancy managers, support workers, heads of service, who care deeply about doing the right thing.

And I’ve lost count of the times I’ve heard the frustration in their voices when talking about the local connection rule. Not because they didn’t understand why it existed, but because they could see the harm it was causing in real time. They wanted to help, but the policy didn’t allow them to.

So while this change is about supporting vulnerable applicants, it’s also a moment of relief and validation for the people delivering services on the ground. The ones who carry the emotional weight of turning people away when they wish they didn’t have to.

This Isn’t Just About Policy - It’s About Values

One of the reasons I care so deeply about this sector is because housing isn’t just policy, process, or paperwork. It’s personal. It’s where your life starts again after trauma. It’s where your kids sleep. It’s what gives you the breathing space to think beyond just surviving.

The removal of the local connection test is a reminder that rules must never override humanity.

We’re moving, slowly but surely, towards a housing system that is more trauma-informed, more compassionate, and more rooted in dignity. And while there’s still a long way to go, in terms of availability, funding, and capacity, I believe that recognising people’s right to choose safety and stability over administrative history is a big step forward.

Final Thoughts

This change won’t solve everything. We still have a crisis of supply. There are still backlogs and budget pressures and local authorities working with one hand tied behind their back.

But for a care leaver trying to start their adult life, or a survivor trying to rebuild theirs, it might just mean the difference between hope and despair.

For those of us working in or alongside social housing, this is the kind of progress that makes the job worth doing. The kind that reminds us who we’re doing it for.

Because everyone deserves the right to choose safety.

And now, for some of the most vulnerable in our society, that choice is finally theirs to make without conditions.

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Spotlight: Social Housing

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