Choice-based lettings

Social housing is allocated through the Choice Based Lettings scheme. This scheme allows Housing Register applicants more choice over where they live.

Once an application for housing is accepted and registered, the council places all applications for housing into one of five bands. These bands are designed to reflect the urgency of an applicant's need for housing, with Band 1 reflecting an urgent need for housing while Band 5 reflects that applicants are adequately housed.

Priority within the Bands is determined as follows:

Applicants in Band 1

Effective date, i.e. the date they were assessed as having an urgent need for housing, determines priority

Applicants in Band 2

Registration date determines priority

For a full copy of the Allocations Policy see the top right of this page.

Housing association properties that become available are advertised over a 13 day period, during which time the applicants on the Housing Register can bid for properties for which they are eligible.

Applicants can bid for a maximum of three rented properties and any number of Shared Ownership properties. Applicants will only be offered one property at a time. If they are successful for more than one bid, they will be asked to indicate which property they wish to be offered.

At the end of the advertising period, the council produces a list of all bidders, ordered according to the priority scheme. The person with the highest priority is then nominated to the relevant Housing Association.

For more details about the Choice Based Lettings Scheme and how it may apply to you, go to www.valehomechoice.org.uk This link will take you to an external website... .