Every three years we review our 'Allocations' policy.
This is a really important policy as it details how we will allocate any available homes to anyone on our waiting list. It sets out we decide who gets offered a house. It outlines the criteria for eligibility, how priority is assessed, and the process for allocating available properties. Essentially, it's how we match people needing housing with the available homes we manage.
This is an important service to our existing tenants and applicants, so we want to make sure the policy meets your expectations and takes into account your feedback.
The proposed changes include changing from a point based allocation process to a banding system, (more information on the different bands on Page 20 of the attached policy below), making the criteria for eligibility much more detailed and increasing the suspension period for applicants who provide false information.
These changes will not be implemented until next year when our new Housing Management system is in place. All tenants and applicants on our waiting list will be contacted prior to this change to update their details and confirm what band etc they will be eligible for.
It would be great if you could take a few minutes to give us feedback on the proposed changes. You can also read the full Allocations Policy here.
Currently our allocations process is a points based system and we want to change it to a banding system.
Banding systems for allocating social housing generally offer greater simplicity and transparency compared to points-based systems, making them easier for you the applicant to understand and for us (housing provider) to administer.
Simplicity and Transparency: Banding systems group applicants into priority categories (bands) based on their level of housing need. This is generally easier for applicants to understand than a points-based system.
Ease of Administration: The relatively straightforward nature of banding makes it simpler for us to manage and administer the allocation process.
Clearer Expectations: Banding helps manage applicant expectations by clearly outlining the priority levels and how they translate into potential housing offers.
Improved Understanding: Banding can lead to greater transparency and clarity for applicants regarding their position in the allocation process.
Our current policy does not reference the current housing crisis in Scotland. It is important that our Allocations policy references the current severe shortage of affordable and suitable housing, which has lead to a national housing emergency.
Setting expectations: It is important that we set expectations from the outset on the availability of housing. The crisis means there is a high demand for social housing, due to many different factors such as the shortage of social housing, rising private rents, and increased difficulty for first-time buyers to access the property ladder, all leading to increased homelessness.
Do you have any comments on the adding reference to the housing crisis into our Allocations Policy?
The eligibility criteria for a house in our old policy is quite general. We want to make it much more detailed because it will make the allocation process more transparent and fairer. By clearly outlining the requirements, individuals can better understand their eligibility and avoid confusion or frustration in the application process.
This level of detail will require more staff time to get it right, so we want to also increase the time frame to process an application from 10 days to 15 days.
We want to make sure that our waiting list is representative of the needs of our applicants and we want to discourage anyone who tries to provide false information in order to improve their chances of a housing offer.
Impact on others: Providing false information can negatively impact other applicants by distorting the allocation process and potentially delaying their offers. Fairness: Providing accurate information ensures that housing is allocated based on genuine need and eligibility criteria. Efficiency: Accurate information helps us to efficiently manage our waiting list and allocate properties to those who need them most.
A "reasonable offer" of social housing means a property that is suitable for the applicant's needs and meets certain criteria, such as being the right size and in a reasonable condition.
Having a more specific reasonable offer criteria for housing can lead to greater transparency, fairness, and efficiency in the allocation process. It can also improve customer satisfaction, reduce disputes, and ensure that housing is allocated to those with the most urgent needs.