Shropshire Housing Allocations Policy

Consultation

On 1^st April 2009, Shropshire will become one Council. All the existing District, Borough and County Council services will be carried out by the new Shropshire Council.

Shropshire Council will become the new Local Housing Authority. As such, we have to have an Affordable Housing Allocation Policy and an Allocation Scheme. The new Policy and Scheme will replace the ones currently operated in the Districts. We are also working with local housing associations with the eventual aim that all social housing providers in Shropshire - Council and housing associations - will use the same Policy and the same Allocation Scheme. The affordable housing included in the Policy and Scheme is social rented housing and shared ownership homes.

We are also introducing a Common Housing Register, again with local housing associations, so that there will be only one Housing Register in Shropshire instead of the many that exist at the moment. This will mean that you will only have to fill out one housing application form to be on the list for all affordable housing providers in the County.

Everyone who is on the Housing Register at the moment, including people seeking a housing transfer, will be covered by the new Policy and will be included in the new Allocation Scheme.

The draft Shropshire Affordable Housing Allocation Policy

The new draft Affordable Housing Allocation Policy sets out the framework for housing allocation across the County. The Policy sets out:

• Our approach to ensuring advice is easily available concerning the housing options that may be open to people
• Who is eligible for affordable housing, and gives details of people who may not be eligible.
• Our commitment to access for all and to meeting a wide range of housing needs
• The introduction of a new choice based letting scheme. Choice based letting ensures people in the greatest housing need have priority for rehousing, but it also ensures people have more choice about where they live. All available properties are advertised on a regular cycle and applicants can decide whether or not to 'bid' for them. Feedback is provided about which priority group was successful in getting each property. At the moment in most of Shropshire it is not always clear which properties are available, applicants have a quite limited amount of choice and there is little if any feedback on how the property was let.
• The housing support services available in the County and how to access them
• Our approach to Local Lettings Plans and Sensitive Lets to promote sustainable communities or meet specific housing needs. The Policy allows the Council and partner housing associations to have special conditions attached letting properties in certain areas or certain types of property, or with sensitive lets, to letting individual properties. The aim is to ensure that in certain situations housing is targeted towards agreed priority groups.
• How to apply for shared ownership housing. This is a lower cost home ownership option, offered by housing associations in the County, intended for people who can't afford to buy a home on the open market. Ownership is shared with the housing association and rent is paid on the share owned by them.

The draft Shropshire Affordable Housing Allocation Scheme

The new draft Housing Allocation Scheme explains how social rented and shared ownership housing will be allocated across the County. The Scheme explains:

• How to apply for a Home: in person, by post or on-line.
• Who can join the Housing Register: our Housing Register will be open to everyone who is eligible under the Policy. There are special arrangements for people under 18 years old, people who need sheltered and other supported  housing and owner occupiers. The Allocation Scheme also explains who can make a joint application for housing.
• Exclusions and Suspensions from the Housing Register: some people may be excluded from the Register because they are not eligible under the Policy to join. This mainly includes people from abroad who are subject to immigration control.

Some people may be excluded from the Register or have their application suspended as a result of unacceptable behaviour which would make them unsuitable to be social housing tenant. People may be excluded if the previous (or existing) unacceptable behaviour was or is serious enough to lead to repossession of their home. This includes the unacceptable behaviour of any household members.

People may be have their application suspended for a period, until they have shown that their behaviour (or that of their family member/s) has changed and that they are keeping to any agreements that have reached, for example rent arrears repayments or an Acceptable Behaviour Contract.

Decisions to exclude or suspend people are made on an individual basis, taking circumstances into account.

• Appeals and Complaints: the Allocation Scheme explains how to appeal against decisions made under the Policy and also how to make a complaint about any aspect of the service provided.
• Priority Bands:  Instead of a points scheme, the new Allocation Scheme has four Bands to reflect housing need - Priority Band, Gold Band, Silver Band and Bronze Band.

Priority Band includes:

• homeless people where there is a duty to rehouse
• agricultural tied accommodation coming to an end
• very high medical need
• urgent transfers for management reasons

Gold Band includes:

• current home is in serious need of repair
• move on from supported accommodation
• high medical need
• overcrowding where two more bedrooms are needed
• people in specialised or supported housing who no longer need the same level of support
• people who need housing support
• existing tenants who are under-occupying their current home by two or more bedrooms
• people experiencing harassment who want to move
• people being discharged from the armed forces
• people applying from prison

Silver Band includes:

• homeless where there is not a duty to rehouse
• current home is in disrepair
• overcrowding where one bedroom extra s needed
• existing tenants who are under-occupying by one bedroom
• people sharing essential facilities with a separate household
• where a move is needed to give or receive support or move closer to local facilities
• families forced to live apart
• medium medical need
• people working 16+ hours a week who have to travel more than 1 hour each way to work
• relationship breakdown where people are unable to separate because no other accommodation is accessible
• people with children under 10 years old or who are pregnant and live in a flat above the ground floor or who don't have an enclosed garden

Bronze Band includes people who don't meet the criteria for the above Bands.

If you want to read the full draft Affordable Housing Allocation Policy and the Allocation Scheme, there are copies available at the Customer Service Points of the District and Borough Councils, County Council and the housing associations in the County. 

Follow this link for the Shropshire Affordable Housing Allocations Policy

Follow this link for the Shropshire Affordable Housing Allocations Policy & Scheme

There is a feedback form for your comments. This is available at the same locations listed above.

PDF Version of Consultation Feedback Form

Microsoft Word Version of Consultation Feedback Form

The closing date for comments is 3^rd October 2008.  The allocation of affordable housing in Shropshire is an important issue and we welcome your comments.  A summary of feedback received and any changes made to the Policy or the Scheme as a result will be available in mid-October.