Herts Choice Homes

Housing Allocations Policy

Choice Based Lettings

April 2011

(amended from April 2009 Policy)

Working in partnership with Herts Choice Homes

Contents Page

Page No

1. INTRODUCTION

1 2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

/ 2

3. STATEMENT OF CHOICE

3 4. LINKS TO OTHER POLICIES

5. MONITORING AND REVIEW OF THE HOUSING ALLOCATIONS POLICY

6. HOUSING REGISTER

7. WHO CAN APPLY TO JOIN THE HOUSING REGISTER?

8. HOW TO APPLY TO JOIN THE HOUSING REGISTER

9. ASSESSMENT OF HOUSING NEED AND PRIORITY BANDING

10. HOW THE COUNCIL ALLOCATES ACCOMMODATION

11. FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT

12. MEDICAL GROUNDS

13. SHELTERED HOUSING

14. SOCIAL/WELFARE NEEDS

15. ALLOCATIONS TO STAFF, COUNCIL MEMBERS OR THEIR FAMILIES

16. TENANCY MANAGEMENT OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF CBL

17. TRANSLATION

18. DATA PROTECTION

19. CONFIDENTIALITY

20. APPEALS AND REVIEWS OF DECISIONS

21. THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OMBUDSMAN

22. DEFINITIONS

APPENDIX – The Banding Scheme

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Your Home, Your Area, Your Choice

1.2 This document describes Three Rivers District Council’s (TRDC) new Housing Allocations Policy incorporating Herts Choice Homes (HCH) sub-regional Choice Based Lettings (CBL) scheme.

1.3 Hertsmere, St Albans, Three Rivers, Watford and Welwyn Hatfield Councils have teamed up under the name of Herts Choice Homes. HCH are working together to increase social housing choice and mobility within Hertfordshire. Each Council will have its own Housing Allocation Policy but will allocate a proportion of homes that become vacant in their area to a pool from which applicants on the Housing Register in these Councils can bid (apply) for without having a local connection.

1.4 This policy has been developed in consultation with applicants from the Housing Register, Herts Choice Homes partners and representatives from the voluntary and statutory organisations. This new policy moves away from the previous complex points-based system to one that allows more choice and transparency for customers.

1.5 The Policy enables the Council to consider the individual needs of applicants whilst making best use of the scarce housing resource. The policy sets out:

· How Properties are allocated

· How to apply for housing

· Who is eligible to be accepted onto the housing register

· Who is not eligible to be accepted onto the housing register

· How priority for housing applicants will be given

· Eligibility for different property types

· How homes will be let

1.6 Lettings covered by the Allocations Scheme

1.6.1 This Allocation Scheme sets out the Council’s arrangements for allocating housing accommodation within the meaning of Part 6 of the Housing Act 1996, as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002 ie:

· Offers of secure or introductory tenancies from other Councils, or other bodies able to grant secure tenancies

· Offers of assured tenancies from registered social landlords

1.7 Regrettably, acceptance onto the housing register is not a guarantee that an offer of accommodation will be made. This is because demand for accommodation within TRDC significantly exceeds supply. Housing Options Staff can offer advice about alternative housings options.

2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

2.1 The Council’s Housing Allocations policy aims to:

· Ensure that the allocations and assessment policy is transparent, simple, and easy to understand for all

· Provide applicants with choice and give reasonable preference to those with the greatest housing need

· Work with Herts Choice Homes to increase social housing choice and mobility within Hertfordshire

· Offer applicants open and fair access to housing and recognise diverse needs

· Offer applicants a more active role in choosing accommodation, taking account of individual circumstances and waiting time

· Provide applicants with sufficient information to make informed choices about opportunities for re-housing and understand the criteria and processes adopted by the Council.

· Maximise the use of, and efficiently let, all housing stock available to the Council

· Promote social inclusion, sustainable communities and ensure that applicants benefit from any future regeneration and development taking place within the district

· Enable applicants to move to social housing outside the district

2.2. Our Service Charter

2.2.1 The Council sets minimum service standards that applicants can expect. These are published in a separate leaflet titled “Any Comments – We want to hear them”.

2.2.2 The Council will ensure that advice and information is available to people in the District about making a housing application and homelessness prevention.

2.3 Equality

2.3.1 The Council is committed to ensuring equal access and allocation of housing. No one will be treated any less favourably than anyone else because of race, colour, origin, religion, sex, disability, sexual orientation or age.

2.3.2 The Council operates an Equal Opportunities policy and copies are available from http://www.threerivers.gov.uk/Default.aspx/Web/CouncilPoliciesPlans or at the Council offices, Three Rivers House, Northway, Rickmansworth, WD3 1RL.

2.3.3 The development of a clear and consistent Allocation Scheme goes hand in hand with careful monitoring to ensure that housing allocations are fair and seen to be fair by everyone.

2.3.4 It is also important that the Allocation Scheme is understood by everyone. Relevant information leaflets and other communications are available from the Council in an easily understandable format and can be requested in audio and large print versions as appropriate. The Council can arrange a translation service for people who visit the Council Offices. The request for this service can be made via the Customer Service Centre.

3. STATEMENT OF CHOICE

3.1 CBL allows eligible applicants to select properties that they are interested in, rather than the Council allocating the property to the next applicant on the waiting list. The Scheme will follow a more open and transparent process, helping applicants make informed choices about where they want to live and the type of property they would prefer. It also offers the applicant the opportunity to select properties in neighbouring districts which are part of the Herts Choice Homes scheme.

3.2 The Council is fully committed to enabling you to play a more active role in choosing where you live, whilst continuing to house those in the greatest need.

3.3 The Council believes that social housing should be seen as one of a range of options available. Other Housing Options may be considered, such as:

· Low cost home ownership

· An exchange (the existing scheme is called ‘Homeswopper’, it applies to Council and Housing Association tenants)

· Renting in the private sector

· Moving to other parts of the country where there is a better balance between supply and demand of social housing

3.4 Information on all available housing options can be obtained from The Customer Service Centre or the Housing Needs Team of the Council. You can also access information directly via the web. Please refer to the end of this document for contact details.

4. LINKS TO OTHER POLICIES

4.1 The Housing Allocations Policy will work in parallel with a number of other key policies and priorities of the Council and these include the strategies listed below.

4.1.1 The Homelessness Strategy

The Housing Allocations Policy will link strongly with the Council’s Homelessness Strategy and some of its key objectives. In particular, to identify and reduce the level of recurring homelessness and to reduce the inappropriate use of temporary accommodation

4.1.2 The Housing Strategy

The Housing Allocations Policy will link with the housing strategy and some of its key objectives, in particular, to introduce choice-based lettings and reduce the risk of homelessness.

4.1.3 Supporting People Strategy

The housing allocations process will seek to ensure that there is greater focus on tenancy support services and that support is available to applicants who may otherwise be at risk of being deemed to be unsuitable for a tenancy.

4.1.4 Private Sector Housing Strategies

The allocations process will complement the aims and objectives of the private housing renewal work, empty property and houses in multiple occupation strategies, and will work with any Landlord Forums to provide options to applicants requiring re-housing.

4.1.5 Equal opportunity/diversity and vulnerability

TRDC, through the Allocations Policy will endeavour to be responsive, accessible and sensitive to the needs of all applicants. TRDC will not tolerate prejudice and discrimination and will actively promote equality in line with its Comprehensive Equality Policy.

4.1.6 Inclusion and Access policy

The Inclusion and Access policy has been produced in conjunction with HCH and aims to ensure the HCH sub–regional choice based letting scheme is accessible to all sections of the community by providing support to help people to do so.

5. MONITORING AND REVIEW OF THE HOUSING ALLOCATIONS POLICY

5.1 The Housing Needs Team will monitor the operations of the Allocations Policy by:

· Regularly reviewing the policy to ensure that the policy meets its stated objectives and complies with legislative changes

· Assessing the impact, if any, that offering choice has upon vulnerable, black and minority ethnic groups and all other groups

· Annually publishing lettings performance

6. HOUSING REGISTER

6.1 The Council no longer owns or manages any housing stock. We do, however maintain a Housing Register and have nomination rights to a large number of properties managed by numerous Housing Associations. The Register includes those who are existing housing association tenants who have requested a move. While there is no requirement to maintain a housing register, this is the most common and systematic way of recording information about applicants who require alternative accommodation.

6.2 The Council will operate a Housing Register which will include all applicants who apply for Social housing. Lettings will only be made from the Housing Register. Within the Register, priority is determined by date of application and priority bands please refer to section 9.1.

6.3 Transfer Applicants and Homeseekers

6.3.1 A transfer applicant is any applicant who holds a tenancy with a council or RSL within the Three Rivers District Council’s area. A homeseeker is any other applicant, including those who hold a council or RSL tenancy in districts outside of the Three Rivers District Council area.

6.4 Areas of Choice

6.4.1 The Council currently has access to properties in the following areas:-

· Abbots Langley

· Bedmond

· Berry Lane

· Boundary Way

· Carpenders Park

· Chorleywood

· Croxley Green

· Leavesden

· Kings Langley

· Maple Cross

· Mill End

· Oxhey Hall

· Rickmansworth

· Sarratt

· South Oxhey

7. WHO CAN APPLY TO JOIN THE HOUSING REGISTER?

7.1 Eligibility Test

7.1.1 To join the housing Register the you must:

· be aged 16 years of age or over.

· not be subject to immigration control or be an applicant from abroad unless the applicant is a ‘qualifying person’ as described by law.

· be habitually resident in the common travel area (England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man).

· not have a history of unacceptable behaviour.

7.2 Unacceptable Behaviour

7.2.1 You will normally be excluded from joining the housing register if you or a member of your household is guilty of unacceptable behaviour serious enough to make you or them unsuitable to be a tenant.

7.2.2 When making decisions regarding unacceptable behaviour, TRDC will consider whether the behaviour of an applicant (or a member of their household) is unacceptable and is of a serious enough nature to make him or her unsuitable as a tenant. The Council will consider all available, relevant facts and circumstances before making this decision. Unacceptable behaviour includes anti-social behaviour and providing false or misleading information.

7.3 Notifying an Ineligible Applicant

7.3.1 If the Council decides that the applicant is ineligible to join the housing register because of age, immigration status or unacceptable behaviour he/she will be notified in writing and be given clear grounds for the decision.

7.3.2 If the Council decides to exclude you from the Housing Register because of anti-social behaviour we will notify you of the exclusion term. However, this period can be indefinite if the behaviour has been extremely anti-social.

7.3.3 You will have the right to request a review of the decision. Details of how to do this are detailed in section 24. Otherwise, you can apply again at the end of the exclusion period when the Council will reconsider the circumstances.

7.4 Local Connection

7.4.1 For you to be considered as having a local connection to TRDC, one of the following criteria must apply at the time a housing offer is made. You must:

· Have lived three years out of the last five years in the District

· Have lived six months out of the last 12 months in the District

· Have permanent employment for sixteen hours or more per week within the District

· Have close relatives who at present live in the District and who have lived in the District for at least five years (such as parents, children, brothers or sisters)

· Be a member of Her Majesty’s Forces, have served for at least five years, and either enlisted from an address in the District or have permanent employment in the District on discharge

· Have special circumstances which TRDC considers give rise to a local connection

7.5 Active and Non-Active applications

7.5.1 In order to bid for a property through the HCH scheme, the application will need to be active. There may be situations where the Council will make an application non-active. Examples of these are:–

7.5.1.1 If you have Rent Arrears: - If you are currently in arrears, or owing court costs to your landlord, your application may be made non-active until the rent account has been cleared and a clear rent account is maintained for 12 consecutive weeks. Discretion will be exercised if:

· An overpayment of housing benefit was due to an error by the Council

· Arrears accrued due to rent payment date conflicting with income but account is consistently clear when the payment is made every month and the rent is paid on a regular basis

· You have made an agreement to clear the arrears and have kept to the agreement for a minimum of 12 weeks

· this is not an exhaustive list