Housing allocations policy - Who qualifies to join the housing register?

Local housing authorities may only nominate persons to be allocated accommodation who are defined as ‘Qualifying Persons’ (s.160ZA (6)(a) Housing Act 1996). With the exception of persons described in Section 3.1 below, under section 160ZA(7) the Council has been granted the power by Government to decide the classes of people who are, or who are not, ‘Qualifying Persons’.

To be a Qualifying Person to join the Council’s housing register, applicants must meet all the following:

1. have a local connection to Walsall - this is as set out in Appendix One on page 37. A list of exemptions to this local connection is also set out in Appendix One.
2. have a specific housing need as set out in Section C/1.7 on page 13. 3) be exempt or excluded from the categories of persons outlined in Section 3 on page 10.

Applicants with housing related arrears or recoverable related debts will, subject to 2.2 above, be deemed as Qualifying Persons and will be able to join the Housing Register. However, in most cases applicants will not be nominated for a vacant property until the arears or debts are cleared by the applicant(s). For clarity arrears in this context will include:

• current or former rent arrears regardless of tenure (including temporary accommodation arrears)
• a financial claim due to damage to a former social housing property; or,
• legal costs arising from court action in connection with a current or former tenancy
• mortgage arrears 

In all cases it will be the responsibility of the applicant to prove to the Council that any arrears have been cleared.

Where income meets required income thresholds, the Council will proactively support applicants to access accommodation available through shared ownership schemes. Shared Ownership schemes enable an applicant to buy part of a property and rent the remaining part from either a local authority or a housing association.