Housing (Northern Ireland) Order 1988 (S.I. 1988/1990 (N.I. 23))
20(1)Article 10 (duties to persons found to be homeless) is amended as follows.
(2)After paragraph (2) insert—
“(2A)In a restricted case the Executive shall cease to be subject to the duty under paragraph (2) if the applicant, having been informed of the possible consequence of refusal—
(a)accepts a private accommodation offer, or
(b)refuses such an offer.
(2B)For the purposes of this Article an offer is a private accommodation offer if—
(a)it is an offer of a private tenancy made by a landlord to the applicant in relation to any accommodation which is, or may become, available for the applicant’s occupation,
(b)it is made, with the approval of the Executive, in pursuance of arrangements made by the Executive with the landlord with a view to bringing its duty under paragraph (2) to an end, and
(c)the tenancy being offered is for a term certain of at least 12 months.
(2C)The Executive shall not approve a private accommodation offer unless it is satisfied that the accommodation is suitable for the applicant and that it is reasonable for him to accept the offer.
(2D)For the purposes of paragraph (2C) an applicant may reasonably be expected to accept an offer even though he is under contractual or other obligations in respect of his existing accommodation, provided he is able to bring those obligations to an end before he is required to take up the offer.
(2E)In a restricted case the Executive shall, so far as reasonably practicable, bring its duty under paragraph (2) to an end as mentioned in paragraph (2A).
(2F)In a restricted case the Executive shall also cease to be subject to the duty under paragraph (2) if the applicant, having been informed of the possible consequence of refusal, refuses a reasonable offer of accommodation under the Housing Selection Scheme.
(2G)For the purposes of paragraph (2F)—
(a)“the Housing Selection Scheme” means the scheme for the allocation of housing accommodation held by the Executive approved from time to time under Article 22 of the Order of 1981, and
(b)an offer of accommodation is reasonable if it is a reasonable offer within the meaning of that Scheme.
(2H)Paragraphs (2A) to (2G) are without prejudice to any other way in which the Executive can cease to be subject to the duty under paragraph (2).”
(3)After paragraph (4) insert—
“(5)In this Article—
“a private tenancy” has the same meaning as in the Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006,
“a restricted case” means a case falling within paragraph (2) where the Executive would not be satisfied as mentioned in paragraphs (1) and (2) without having had regard to a restricted person,
“a restricted person” has the same meaning as in Article 9.”