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

Building a Housing Ladder of Opportunity – Housing Allocation Schemeprovider); housing associations (private registered providers); landlords from theprivate rented sector; and other agencies. In allocating the homes that theCouncil has access to, it will take account of the applicant’s preferences; thesuitability of accommodation available; and, the supply of accommodationavailable.4.2 Properties available from the property pool will be matched to applicants’preferences and, taking into account the suitability of the accommodation againstapplicants’ needs, offers will be made by Housing Options Officers, based on thehousing supply available. In effect the officers concerned will undertake thebidding process based on the applicants expressed preferences. All applicants,whether homeless, transfer cases or sheltered housing applicants will be treatedthe same way under this system. The Council will seek to make at least twooffers to applicants, with discretion to make a third offer. In the event thathomeless applicants turn down offers made by the Council, they will be removedfrom the register. Where other applicants turn down offers made by the Council,they will be demoted a band for twelve months. Where applicants are in Band 4and turn down a second offer, they will be removed from the Housing Registeraltogether and not be able to re-apply for a year.How will it work in practice?4.3 In sequence, the key characteristics of this service will be as follows:1. Applicants will discuss with the Housing Options Officer eligibility andqualification criteria to enter the Council’s Housing Register. This will include adiscussion on all housing options, including obtaining accommodation outside thehousing registration route (e.g., private rented sector, low cost home ownership,etc)2. If registered, applicants will be allocated a Band ranging from 1 (the highestpriority) to 4 (the lowest priority). It will be explained at this stage that allocation toBand 4 status is highly unlikely to lead to the allocation of an affordable home forrent let by a Registered Provider (i.e. principally the Council in its landlord roleand housing association landlords). In the case of a homeless applicant whosuccessfully registers, the Council is likely to discharge its duty into the privaterented sector.3. Over time, Housing Options Officers will assess available homes from the‘property pool’ as they become available, match them with applicants’accommodation needs and invite them to consider offers as and when they arise.Clearly, where there is a more affordable housing in that area of the borough,such housing choices are more likely to be met. Similarly, where there is moreprivate market housing in that are of the borough, such housing choices are lesslikely to be met.20Page 403