Housing Allocations Policy Consultation

The council is proposing to update the local connection requirement for applicants who are supporting close family members in the district. Under the proposed change, customers will need to demonstrate that the distance they currently travel to provide this care or support is unreasonable, or creates a barrier to delivering effective assistance. This aims to ensure that priority is given to those who genuinely need to live closer to family within the district to provide essential care.

How strongly do you agree with this proposed change?

The council is proposing to update the exemptions to the local connection requirement for Armed Forces personnel and their families. In line with recent government guidance, the revised policy will exempt all current and former members of the Armed Forces and their immediate families from local connection criteria, regardless of length or time of service. This proposed change will ensure that veterans and their families are not disadvantaged when applying to join the council’s Housing Register.

How strongly do you agree with this proposed change?

The council’s current Housing Allocations Policy contains an exemption to requiring a housing need for those over the age of 60 (with local connection) to joining the council’s Housing Register to bid on age restricted accommodation.   

The council propose to lower this age restriction to from 60 to 55. This change reflects that most Registered Providers within the district will accept a nomination to an age restricted property for those aged 55 and over.

How strongly do you agree with this proposed change?

The council’s current Housing Allocations Policy states that applications from customers who own a property but are experiencing financial hardship, which may result in them losing their home, will be considered on an individual basis.

The council propose to introduce a requirement that homeowners who are experiencing financial hardship, which may result in them losing their home, must be actively engaging with the council’s Housing Options team to be considered for the council’s Housing Register.

This aims to ensure that customers in this position who wish to join the council’s Housing Register are engaging with the council’s Housing Options team, as the council may be able to prevent the customer becoming homeless with early intervention. Furthermore, it is appropriate that these customers are engaging with the Housing Options team due to their threat of homelessness. 

How strongly do you agree with this proposed change?

Section 3.8 of the council’s current Housing Allocations Policy confirms to customers that they may be visited at their home, prior to an offer of accommodation, to confirm their circumstances. Customers are informed that these home visits may be conducted at short notice and the customer will have to ensure that they are available; otherwise, an offer of accommodation may not be made.

The council propose to amend this section to confirm to customers that in addition to being conducted at short notice, these visits may be scheduled or conducted unannounced. If a customer is unavailable for a scheduled visit, the accommodation offer will be subject to reconsideration.

The council also propose to confirm to customers within this section that these home visits are essential and access granted to all areas of the property as part of this verification process is required.

How strongly do you agree with this proposed change?

The council is proposing that customers who are awarded priority for ground floor accommodation due to medical needs will only be considered for properties with no internal or external stairs. This ensures that limited number of step-free properties that are available within the district are allocated to those who truly require them.

How strongly do you agree with this proposed change?

The council is proposing that customers, who are approved for an extra bedroom to their bedroom entitlement for a live-in carer, must provide evidence to the council that they receive the benefit allowance required to afford the increased rent charged for a larger property before they are eligible to bid.

This change is proposed to ensure that our customers understand the affordability criteria set by our Registered Providers, as Registered Providers will not accept a nomination for a property with an extra bedroom to the household’s requirement unless that household is eligible to receive the relevant benefits to cover the rental amount.  

How strongly do you agree with this proposed change?

The council is proposing that the following customers, that must be awarded reasonable preference (Section 4.1 of the Housing Allocations Policy) and have urgent housing needs, will be awarded a Band C priority on the council’s Housing Register –

• currently serving in the regular forces and suffering from a serious injury, illness or disability which is attributable to that service.
• has formerly served in the regular armed forces.
• has recently ceased or will cease to be entitled to reside in accommodation provided by the Ministry of Defence following the death of a spouse or civil partner who served in the regular forces and whose death was attributable to that service.
• has served or is serving in the reserve forces and is suffering from a serious injury, illness or disability which is attributable to that service.

This proposed change reflects new government guidance that confirms that these categories are required to be awarded ‘additional’ priority.

How strongly do you agree with this proposed change?

The council propose that Armed Forces veterans that have a housing need will be awarded additional priority on the council’s Housing Register, via a two-year backdate of their band start date. This proposed change is to recognise the service that Armed Forces veterans have provided to their country.

How strongly do you agree with this proposed change?

The council propose that care leavers under the age of 25 are exempt from the local connection qualifying criteria. This change is proposed following an introduction of new legislation by the government and is designed to ensure that barriers to safe and stable housing for this cohort are removed. 

How strongly do you agree with this proposed change?