We’re after your views on proposed changes to how council homes are allocated in the city.
The allocations policy sets the way the city’s council and housing association homes are allocated.
With council homes and other social housing in the city in huge demand, the aim of the proposals is to update the allocations policy and make sure available homes go to those in the greatest housing need.
The council’s current Housing Allocations Policy came into effect in 2016 and needs updating in response to national legislation and local needs.
The policy is key to how people in housing need on the joint housing register bid for homes through the city’s choice based-lettings system Homemove.
The consultation is open for 12 weeks until Friday 24 May.
One of the main proposed changes is to increase the scope for households at risk of homelessness to join the housing register sooner, where they’ve approached the council for advice and support to prevent their homelessness.
At present households at risk of being made homeless can only join the housing register once they have lost their home.
The aim of the proposed change is to help prevent homelessness and reduce the need to place people in temporary accommodation.
Other proposed changes to the allocations policy include simplifying the housing register queuing system and changing the residency criteria so that applicants must have lived in Brighton & Hove for 5 out of the last 7 years.
Currently, applicants must have lived in the city for 5 years or longer, without a break, and this proposal is aimed at supporting people who may have had to temporarily move away.
Councillor Gill Williams, chair of the Housing & New Homes Committee, said: “The national housing crisis has a serious impact in Brighton & Hove. Making sure our Allocations Policy works as well as it can to ensure available council homes go to the people who need them most is a crucial part of our work to improve housing support for residents.
“We’re seeing record numbers of people presenting as either homeless or threatened with homelessness. This puts additional pressures on services which are already stretched to their limit.
“We’re building more council homes, but in the meantime there’s an acute shortage of affordable housing in the city and a huge demand for accommodation.
“With the numbers of households on our waiting list nearing 8,000, we need to make the best possible use of available council and housing association homes in the city.
“We’re very keen to hear residents’ views on the proposals to help us shape the updated policy. Please do have a look at the proposals and have your say.”
If you are threatened with homelessness, please contact us to get advice as soon as possible. We can support you with any problems making it difficult to stay in your home.
The homeless prevention and housing options support we provide includes action to prevent applicants from becoming homeless, help to keep or secure accommodation and a personalised housing plan.
