Introduction

The Council have approved a new Allocations Policy and a new system of letting social housing tenancies, known as Choice Based Lettings.

Both were launched on 13 September 2004. The Housing Allocations Policy describes the basis under which applications for housing to the Council’s Housing Register are dealt with. The Housing Allocations Policy has bandings as the basis for prioritising applicants for housing, with position within a band determined by the date of application. This policy was approved by Council in March 2003. This means the Council no longer awards points to a housing application. Instead all applications for social housing are placed into a Band.

The Council further approved the principles of Choice Based Lettings as a mechanism for the allocation of social housing in June 2003. The following principles of a Choice Based Lettings were approved:

• unrestricted choice is offered to Housing Register applicants, except where an applicant has been accepted as statutory homeless where there is a time limit on their choice
• applicants self-refer or "bid" for properties in which they are interested
• information is made available to applicants with particular measures put in place to ensure this information reaches those that are more vulnerable

Some Housing Association properties are used as temporary accommodation for homeless households to which the Council owes a duty under the provisions of the Homelessness Act 2002. Allocations to these properties are also made outside the cope of the Allocations Policy.