Court of Appeal held that Hillingdon’s housing allocation policy unlawfully discriminated against Irish Travellers and refugees

The Court of Appeal held today that Hillingdon’s housing allocation policy, which gave priority to those who could satisfy a 10 year residence requirement, unlawfully discriminated against Irish Travellers and refugees. The raises important issues about the legality of local authority’s housing allocation policies and when reliance can be placed on “safety valves” to avoid findings of discrimination. Dan Squires QC and Chris Buttler represented the Equality and Human Rights Commission in this case.