Norwich City Council is set to shake-up its social housing waiting list criteria.
Norwich City Council set to tighten up rules on social housing
by DAN GRIMMER
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
3:21 PM
People are likely to find it tougher to get on the waiting list for social housing in Norwich, if a string of proposed changes come into effect.
The current Greater Norwich Home Options partnership, through which people can bid for social housing in Norwich, Broadland and South Norfolk is to be dissolved in April this year.
Norwich City Council is planning to keep a similar system, of people on the list being able to bid for homes which are allocated according to bandings.
But they want to tighten up the criteria through which people can get a place on the social housing waiting list.
At the moment, 40pc of people on the register do not live in Norwich and almost anyone can apply to be on the list, regardless of their need or location. That means thousands of people sit on the council list with a bronze banding, yet they stand very little chance of ever getting a home because the needs of others push them ahead in the queue.
But under proposed changes, people will only be eligible if they have a local connection or have a proven priority.
Homeowners will not be allowed to join the list, people on it will have to actively bid for properties or risk being removed from the register. People who refuse to take up offers will be suspended from the register and people who have been housed through the scheme will not be allowed to go back on the list for a year.
Victoria MacDonald, cabinet member for housing at Norwich City Council, said: “There has been a lot of work done on how people can apply, just to make the system even more robust than it already is.
“We are still committed to the bidding approach and I would say to people to always make sure they do bid. If anyone is unsure about how to do so, then we have officers who can help.”
The proposed changes are currently out for public consultation and people can have their say by visiting www.norwich.gov.uk/Housing/FindingAHome/Pages/HomeOptionsConsultation.aspx
The outcome of the consultation will be included in a report to Norwich City Council’s cabinet next month and, if it gets approval, the new policy will launch at the start of April.
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5 comments
isnt this the council who housed thousands of refugees while there was over 10.000 people waiting desperatly on the social housing list for years
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milecross
Thursday, February 16, 2012
What does it matter how many people are on the waiting list? Even if you earn £5 million a year let them on the list, their priority would be so near the bottom it won't matter. Sounds like a way to try and reduce the amount of people on the list so they can claim to have met a target to have "found" many people some housing...
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adamb
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Howe about tighten up leaseholder properties that are sublet to illegal immigrants, can give them details of a couple of properties near where I live if they want!
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chebram71
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
"But they want to tighten up the criteria through which people can get a place on the social housing waiting list." Fat chance... the closest Norwich Council property to me (100 yards away) became vacant last year after the death of the male tenant who was in his 80s. His wife moved into sheltered housing. It stood empty for 19 weeks until the new tenants moved in. There are now 5 adults living there with 3 cars and 2 scooters. Norwich City Council should reassess every tenant every year, its hardly a difficult process.
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NR4
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
These are common sense ideas and it amazes me that they have,ny been implemented many years ago !
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Albert Cooper
Wednesday, February 15, 2012