Housing allocations policy - Who can apply to join the housing register?

Anyone over the age of 16 can apply to join the Council’s Housing Register if their current address is their only home or residence and they are not already registered on the Housing Register by virtue that they form part of someone else’s housing application. However, only the following groups of persons will qualify to be included on the register: 

1. Any person aged 18 years or older who meets the eligibility and qualification rules
2. Any person aged 16 or 17 who meets both the eligibility and qualification rules and/is:

• statutorily homeless
• has one or more children
• would have their welfare seriously jeopardised if accommodation was not made available
• a looked after child who is fully supported by the Council’s Children’s Services 

In law, a minor cannot hold a legal estate in land. Therefore, if the applicant is aged between 16 and 17 years, they may be required to provide details of a trustee and/or a guarantor before they can actively be considered for housing. The trustee/guarantor can be an appropriate adult or a social worker. The Council will be able to provide advice to 16 and 17 year olds on trustees and guarantors. 

Joint applications will be accepted and will be treated as one application. The housing need of the full household will be considered in assessing housing need. 

Only children for which the applicant is the legal guardian will be accepted as part of the household. Where there is another legal guardian, a decision will be made on a case-by-case basis to agree whether it is reasonable to accept the child as part of the household on the application. Proof of Child Benefit may also be required to confirm the residency of dependent children. See also Section C/4.5 regarding prospective foster carers, adoptive parents and legal guardians