Draft Southampton City Council’s Allocations Policy - short version
What is the Housing Needs Register?
To be considered for social housing, applicants must join the Housing Needs Register (the Register). The council decides who is prioritised for social housing in the city. The council aims to house those with the highest needs first.
What is the Allocations Policy?
The Allocation Policy explains:
- Who can apply to the Housing Needs Register and be considered for social housing
- How the council decides which applicants to prioritise for social housing
Who is eligible to register?
To join the Housing Register applicants must:
- Qualify
- Be eligible
- Meet the requirements for either “reasonable” or “additional” preference
- Be suitable to be a tenant
1 To qualify, the applicant must: SHOW
2 To be eligible, the applicant must: SHOW
3 To meet the requirements for either “reasonable” or “additional” preference, the applicant must: SHOW
4 To be a suitable tenant, the applicant must: SHOW
How to apply?
The council has a website called “Homebid.” Applicants can view all the available properties and bid on vacancies which they are eligible for and interested in.
To apply go to Homebid. If you want some support in the application process, you can:
- Email – housing.allocations@southampton.gov.uk
- Call – 023 8083 3006
- Visit – Gateway at the Civic Centre offices
You must keep the council up to date with your housing situation. For example, if you have moved home or your family size has changed. To do this, log into your account and update your application.
Most applicants are expected to apply online at Join the Housing Register. For those who are unable to apply online, officers may be able to assist by contacting the council as detailed above.
When do you have to re-register?
The council will require every applicant to re-register every year. This is to help the council understand the true level of housing needs in the city, to make sure applications are up to date and to prevent fraudulent applications.
What if you have specific housing needs?
Housing with Care schemes SHOW
Adapted Property Direct Let (APDL) SHOW
Special Letting Scheme SHOW
How will the council allocate social housing?
Type and size of property
The council wants to make the best use of the social housing available. The council will assess an applicant’s needs to decide what type and size of property they can bid for on the Homebid website. If the property is advertised with a priority for certain applicants – for example, those who need a ground floor property due to disability – these applicants will be made the offers first.
This chart gives details as to the size of the property required:
Family size | Size of accommodation |
---|---|
Single person | Studio or one-bedroom |
Two adults living as a couple | One-bedroom |
Adult couple or single person, with:
(includes step and half-siblings, cousins, nieces/nephews, etc |
Two-bedroom |
Adult couple or single person, with:
(includes step and half siblings, cousins, nieces/nephews, etc) |
Three bedrooms |
Adult couple or single person, with:
(includes step and half-siblings, cousins, nieces/nephews, etc) |
Four bedrooms |
The Banding Scheme
The council will use the following banding scheme to prioritise applicants on the Housing Register. The scheme starts with Band A (highest priority level) down to Band D (lowest priority level).
Band | Band name |
---|---|
A |
|
B |
|
C |
|
D |
|
*Applicants in bands A1 and A2 will only be permitted to place bids for three months. If they have still not been housed, they will be suspended from bidding and one direct offer of accommodation will be made. If at any time they refuse an offer of accommodation which the council determines as suitable, they will be placed into the band they previously occupied. If they did not previously have a band, they will be removed from the register.
How properties are advertised and prioritised
Properties will be advertised on Homebid. The property adverts will explain whether any specific requirements apply to applicants for them to be made an offer of a home.
Sometimes, the council will prioritise – or restrict bidding to – certain groups of applicants. For example, if the council decides there is a need to increase lets to homeless households, it may consider bids from those in categories B1 and C1 before all other bids. Or, if a ground floor property is advertised, the council will consider those with a ground floor need before all other applicants. The property advert will explain this.
The council will produce a lettings plan which details the proportion of applicants from each band it expects to house each year. This plan will help guide the council as to how to advertise properties.
What happens if an offer is refused?
If an applicant refuses three offers, they will be placed into Band D for six months. If a fourth offer of accommodation is refused at any point the application will be cancelled.
How to request a review of a decision?
Applicants have the right to request a review of their case, and to request any information considered when deciding on their case. The letter which notifies applicants of their band or a decision to not accept them onto the register will provide details of how to request a review. The review will be carried out by an officer who has not been involved in the case and is more senior than the original decision-maker.
How to request a move to Southampton to take up work?
Some applicants may apply under ‘Right to Move’ regulations. To be considered for this, applicants must:
- Be an existing social housing tenant in England
- Have the ‘hardship reasonable preference (as noted above)
- Need to move because they work in the area or
- Need to move to take up a work offer in the area
To request to move to an area to take up work applicants must contact us at housing.allocations@southampton.gov.uk or phone 023 8083 3006. Applications under the Right to Move cannot be made online.
How to buy your council home?
Under the Right to Buy scheme, council tenants have a right to buy their home at a discount. Please see Southampton City Council’s Right to Buy page for more information on the Right to Buy scheme.
Deliberately worsening your housing situation and fraud
The council will require proof of information in the application, such as benefits, council tax records, tenancy agreements and any other information to validate the application. The council will also verify information by office interviews, home visits, statements from previous social landlords and verification documents. The council has a Tenancy Fraud Team which investigates fraudulent activity.
Data protection
Personal information will be held and destroyed in accordance with Data Protection legislation and the council’s retention schedule. Data will only be used for the purpose of assessing housing applications, or for exercising other duties compatible with the council’s status as a strategic authority.
Contact details
If you have any questions or need any support, please contact us:
- Email – housing.allocations@southampton.gov.uk
- Call – 023 8083 3006
- Visit – Gateway at the Civic Centre offices