CHANGES have been made to the council’s Housing Allocation Policy to help further improve the support available to residents.
The council is required to have an allocations policy and although it no longer owns or manages any social housing in Warrington, it has existing agreements in place with 12 registered providers of social housing to allocate or nominate tenants to their available properties.
The allocations policy shows how the council prioritises applications for social housing and the procedures it follows in allocating those homes.
A number of amendments have been made to the policy following a public consultation that took place earlier this year and the council took into account comments from residents, tenants, Registered Providers and councillors.
The policy also reflects the council’s continued commitment to support members of the Armed Forces.
Cllr David Keane, (pictured right) executive board member for environment and public protection, said: “It’s good practice to review housing policies and the council needs to ensure that its social housing partners have an up to date policy that is in line with legal requirements, including in relation to the allocation of housing to members of the Armed Forces, and to ensure that where possible applicants are not placed in properties that they are unable to afford.
“The changes aim to take better account of people’s housing needs and personal circumstances and help us meet the needs of our residents.”
Some of the new changes include:
- One bedroom will be allowed for:
– Each married or cohabiting couple or single parent
– Two children of either sex under 10 years
– Two children of same sex aged over 10 years
– Any other person who cannot be paired
(There may be circumstances in which a customer can qualify for an additional bedroom on medical grounds) - Members of the Armed Forces in need of housing and who are due to leave service within three months or having left within five years will be placed into band B. Local connection criteria will not be applied to Armed Forces personnel.
- Members of the Armed Forces in need of housing who have a serious injury, medical condition or disability that has been sustained as a result of their service in the Armed Forces will be placed in Band A.
- Families with children under 10 will be permitted to occupy two bedroom upper floor low rise flats. Additional priority for re-housing is therefore removed for these families.
- Secondary eligibility has been given to parents with shared child access to occupy two bedroom flats and two bedroom maisonettes, subject to affordability criteria.
- Secondary eligibility criteria have been amended and tertiary eligibility criteria introduced so that where no eligible applicants make a successful bid for a property then the other applicants may be considered, subject to affordability criteria.
Affordability criteria have been introduced when assessing bids for properties that will be under-occupied.
You can get further information regarding the allocation of social housing in Warrington on the council’s website www.warrington.gov.uk and Golden Gates Housing Trust’s website www.gght.org.uk
