Housing allocations policy - How we prioritise applicants
Section C1
1.1
In order to ensure that the Council fulfils both its statutory and strategic commitments, this policy is structured to ensure that households in certain specific types of housing need have a degree of priority over others. This is achieved by operating a priority banding system based on the level of urgency and respective housing need. All households who qualify to join the Housing Register are placed into one of four bands as set out in 1.7 below. Those households placed into Band A have the most urgent housing need. Those in Band D have the lowest.
1.2
Where an applicant’s circumstances change the Council will review the degree of housing need priority given to the applicant (See also Section E/2 and E/3)
1.3
All housing applicants have a right to request a formal review of any decision relating to the above (see Section F/2).
1.4
The law requires Local Authorities to frame their allocations policy to give reasonable preference for housing to certain categories of households, known as the Reasonable Preference categories, as outlined in Section A. Households who qualify for Reasonable Preference will be placed into one of Priority Bands B, C or D as set out in Section 2.6
1.5
Households who qualify for Reasonable Preference and are in an exceptionally urgent need to be rehoused will be given Additional Preference. Households awarded Additional Preference will be placed into Priority Band A. As to what constitutes ‘urgent need’ is defined throughout the Policy.
1.6
It is recognised that housing need is wider than the categories of person(s) as set out in 1.4 above, in particular with regard to making the best possible use of available housing stock and accordingly, households outlined in Section C/6 will qualify to join the register with varying degrees of priority. Households outside of Section C/6 and who have no recognised housing need in law will qualify to join Band D. These latter households are often referred to as households in ‘general needs’.
| Band A households awarded additional preference | Description |
|---|---|
| A | Homeless households who are Eligible, Unintentionally Homeless and in Priority Need (see Section C/2.2a). |
| B | Homeless duty accepted households who are homeless and in temporary accommodation that would not be suitable for more than a short period of time, or where the Council needs to move applicants out of temporary accommodation to manage the budgetary impact on the Council (see Section C/2.2b). |
| C | Households living in housing conditions which give rise to an imminent risk of serious harm to health or wellbeing (see Section C/3.3) |
| D | An applicant who has an extremely urgent and immediate need to move for medical reasons or due to a disability, which is being exacerbated by their current housing situation (see Section C/4.3) |
| E | Applicants who need to move immediately due to domestic abuse, extreme violence or extreme harassment (see Section C/4.5) |
| F | Foster carers and those approved by the Council to adopt (see Section C/4.5) |
| G | Armed forces personnel in urgent housing need (see Section C/4.5) |
| H | Care Leavers supported by Walsall Children’s Services (see Section C/4.5) |
| I | Households currently under-occupying their property by at least two bedrooms or who are under-occupying a house (see Section C/6.2(a) and (b)) |
| J | Households occupying adapted properties where the adaptations are no longer in use (see Section C/6.4). |
| K | Households occupying a ground floor flat (see Section C/6.5). |
| Band B households in reasonable preference | Description |
|---|---|
| A | Households who are eligible for assistance and homeless under Section 189B of the Housing Act 1996 (Relief Duty) (see Section C/2.1a). |
| B | Households resident in public or private sector properties directly affected by clearance and clearance programmes as per Section C/3.1a |
| C | Households living in overcrowded conditions and whose housing circumstances have been assessed as being two bedrooms short of what they need (see Section C/3.1b) |
| D | Households who qualify for Reasonable Preference under medical or disability grounds (see Section C/4.2). |
| E | Persons in supported housing seeking a move-on to settled accommodation under the Council’s Move-On requirements as set out in Section C/4.4. |
| F | Housing Association tenants who currently occupy an Intermediate or Advanced Level Sanctuary Scheme property who wish to vacate the property as per Section C/6.3. |
| Band C households in reasonable preference | Description |
|---|---|
| A | Households who are eligible for assistance and homeless under Section 195(2) of the Housing Act 1996 (Prevention Duty) (see Section C/2.1b). |
| B | Applicants living in overcrowded conditions and whose housing circumstances have been assessed as being one bedroom short of what they need (see Section C/3.1c). |
| C | Households who qualify under Hardship Grounds (see Section C/5). |
| D | All Care Leavers not supported by Walsall Children’s Services (see Section C/4.4). |
| E | Housing Association tenants currently resident in a flat or maisonette under-occupying by one bedroom, and who wish to transfer to a property to which they are eligible with fewer bedrooms (see Section C/6.2c). |
| F | Members and former members of the UK Armed Forces with no recognised housing need (see Section C/6.6). |
| Band D households | Description |
|---|---|
| A | Households deemed by the Council to be intentionally homeless and have a priority need for accommodation and owed the section 190 duty (see Section C/2.1c). |
| B | Households who are deemed to qualify for Band D as set out in this policy as per Section E/3.2. |
| C | Households who qualify under ‘general needs’, i.e. they have no recognised housing need in law. |
NOTE: In terms of shortlisting within this criteria (Band D), households in either ‘A’ or ‘B’ above will be considered first.