A New Housing Allocation Policy- affecting all in social rented homes

The housing allocations policy sets out who qualifies to join the housing register, how they can apply, how their application will be assessed, and how their priority for housing will be determined. The current policy was drafted in 2016 with a minor update in 2021.

In April 2023, there were 1,900 households on the housing register, compared to 1,330 applicants three years previously. Over the same period, the number of homes available to let has steadily declined. The housing service is committed to developing a new housing allocations policy which provides a fair, transparent, and easily understood approach to meeting the housing needs of the local area, makes best use of the stock available for allocation, and prioritises those in greatest housing need.

The overall impact of the proposed changes is:

• Reduced average rehousing times for the most overcrowded households with dependent children
• Recognition of the needs of armed forces personnel, care leavers, foster carers,parents with children in care.
• Reduced entitlement to larger homes for some households including those with non-dependent household members
• Higher income households no longer able to apply.
• Removal of unfair and complex policies

You can respond to the proposals by:

• An online survey
• Councillor session or other opportunity for councillors to provide comments
• Consultation workshops with registered providers and the Homeless Forum
• Invitation to key stakeholders to meet or submit written comments by email

The Consultation will run from December 2023 till the end of January2024

Your Great Hollands Councillors will be in the Great Hollands Library on Saturday January 6th from 10.00 until 12.00 to go through these changes with you and to listen to your comments. Also at our Surgery in the Look in Café on every Wednesday throughout January

Please do complete the online survey as we need to hear your voices. The survey will open in December and will be notified here.

The ‘go live’ date for the new policy is proposed for Summer 2024

Mary Temperton
Councillor Great Hollands