15 December 2006
Another 49 councils are to set up systems offering tenants more choice over where they live, with £1.3m being awarded to 12 consortiums for choice-based lettings schemes.
All councils are expected to operate CBL by 2010. The second round of funding, announced on December 12, takes the total with such systems to more than 200.
Housing minister Baroness Andrews said CBL was growing in popularity, with more interest being shown by councils in the North and the Midlands. Most of the early schemes were set up in southern England.
The Department for Communities and Local Government is also providing £760,000 towards Capital Moves, a choice and mobility scheme for London tenants.
The funding was announced in the same week as new figures showed that the number of people in temporary accommodation fell to 93,090 during the third quarter of 2006 — down 8% on last year.
The government said it was making progress in tackling homelessness, but the charity Shelter said that this was too slow.
PFdec2006
