Agenda Reports Pack (Public) 15/10/2012, 19.00 - Meetings ...

Building a Housing Ladder of Opportunity – Housing Allocation Schemekitchen/dining rooms. The Council will normally consider additional rooms inhomes for use as bedrooms in accordance with Housing Benefit regulations.2.33 Cases of existing secure Council tenants agreed as Management Transfers willbe offered homes on a ‘case by case’ basis.2.34 Where the Council is discharging its homelessness duty into private rentedaccommodation, the accommodation should meet the suitability criteria set out inthe final Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order (whenpublished), subject to availability and affordability of accommodation.Suitability of Housing Offers2.35 Where accommodation is offered through the assisted choice process describedbelow, an applicant will normally be expected to accept an offer of a property thatmeets their specified needs which is deemed as suitable and appropriate to meetthe housing and medical needs of the household concerned.2.36 The Council will seek to take into account applicants’ particular or special needs(including need for an additional bedroom for carers) but it will not always bepossible to ensure that these needs are met. In considering what is reasonable,the Council will have regard to the overall supply of Council accommodation andthe demands placed upon it by all priority groups.2.37 As a guideline and subject to the individual circumstances of each application,the Council will normally consider that a property is suitable if:• It is located close to an area which the applicant has selected or an area thatthe Council considers to be reasonable.• It is sized in accordance with the criteria in Annex 1.• It complies with any recommendation made by a Medical or other relevantadvisor.2.38 An offer of accommodation which is arranged by way of a nomination to a privateregistered provider will be considered to be as reasonable as an offer of a counciltenancy.2.39 If a housing applicant refuses two reasonable offers of accommodation throughthe assisted choice scheme or a direct allocation, their priority under thisallocation scheme will be reduced by a Band for twelve months. This will notnecessarily mean no further offers will be made, but will reduce their priority.2.40 An applicant whose housing priority has been reduced to Band 4 under Section4.3 will not be entitled to be placed in a higher band for a period of 12 monthsfrom the date that the Council notified them of its decision. An exception to this12Page 395