Allocations and Letting Policy General Needs
- INTRODUCTION
1.1 This policy explains the approach we take in allocating and letting our properties. - POLICY STATEMENT
2.1 As a small social housing provider of supported accommodation, we are committed
in ensuring the process of letting our properties is as fair, efficient and transparent
as possible. In doing so we work in partnership with local authorities and other
agencies to meet local housing need and prevent homelessness. We aim to
empower vulnerable residents to sustain their tenancies by effectively and
responsibly letting our homes. - LEGAL FRAMEWORK
3.1 White Cliffs Community Housing Association (WCCHA) has an obligation to assist local
authorities so far as it is reasonable, to offer accommodation to people in priority
need under the local authority letting schemes.
3.2 This Policy has taken into account the following key legislation:
o The Housing Act 1996 (As amended) – Part 6
o The Housing Act 1985
o The Homelessness Act 2002
o The Homelessness reduction Act 2017
o Immigration Act 2014
o Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016
o Welfare reform Act 2012
o Data Protection Act 2018 (GDPR)
o Equalities Act 2010
o Housing Regulators Tenancy Standard
o The localism Act 2011
o Human Rights Act 1998
o Local Government Act 2000
3.3 This policy and associated procedures also comply with the Regulator of Social
Housing (RSH) Tenancy Standard.
- SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES
4.1 This policy applies to the allocation and letting of all General Needs
accommodation owned and managed by WCCHA.
4.2 The objective of this policy is to allocate rented properties to make the best use of
the available housing stock, support the long-term sustainability of tenancies and
communities and to meet our requirements in assisting local authorities in their
housing duties. - NOMINATIONS AND REFERRALS
5.1 5.2 5.3 WCCHA will request and accept nominations and referrals from our partners in
accordance with the nominations agreements and eligibility criteria set out within
this policy.
Each nomination and referral is carefully considered before an offer of housing is
made in order to ensure that the property is suitable for the proposed occupier. We
may need to request additional information from the nominating local authority,
statutory agency or referral charity to support a nomination. Additional information
will include, but not limited to medical evidence, risk assessments, occupational
therapist reports, tenancy history from previous landlords and eviction dates (for
those facing homelessness).
On some occasions it may be necessary to reject a nomination from a partner
organisation or authority. Grounds for rejection vary, but may include submission
of inaccurate or insufficient information, unsuitability of property for the applicant’s
needs or applicant’s inability to sustain the tenancy. We do not take into account
factors such as perceived housing management difficulties when deciding to accept
or reject a nomination.
5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 We work with the local authority and other agencies in cases where the applicant
has a history of serious offences, for example: arson, drug use or sexual assault.
We have a separate policy covering the housing of serious offenders. This seeks
to ensure that everyone has fair and equal access to housing but also to enable us
to manage the potential risk posed by serious offenders, and hence protect
residents and local communities from offences.
If an applicant refuses an offer of accommodation we ask them to give their reasons
for refusing and record the reasons. These details are included in any reports to
nominating partners.
WCCHA will work collaboratively with our partners to verify any information given by
applicants to ensure that our housing is allocated and let according to the
appropriate priorities.
Nomination Agreements
Nomination agreements are an arrangement whereby a certain proportion of
homes provided by a housing association are allocated to applicants (nominations)
proposed by another body, such as a local authority, for the purpose of an offer of
housing.
Access to housing is largely managed with partners using nomination agreements,
referral arrangements or choice based lettings schemes. We work with our partners
to verify any information given by applicants to ensure that our housing is allocated
and let according to the appropriate priorities.
We are committed to working with local authorities in order to assist them with their
statutory duties in relation to homeless and those in priority need. We work with
partners and agencies to reach an agreement on the proportion of empty homes to
be offered to nominations. This proportion varies according to local arrangements.
We also work with partners to enable move-on accommodation for applicants living
in supported accommodation.
5.11 Choice based lettings (CBL)
CBL refers to a way of letting homes which allows applicants living in certain local
authorities, including existing tenants who want to transfer, to apply for
accommodation. Applicants are awarded a banding through the use of
‘priority banding’, which prioritises applicants with an urgent need to move.
Applicants can see the full range of available properties, which are advertised
widely, and can bid for any home to which they are matched. CBL is available
through your local authority.
Referral with specialist agencies
5.12 5.13 A number of properties are made available to referral agencies with which we have
an agreement. Agreements are made with both voluntary and statutory agencies in
order to help residents with particular needs to secure housing. Agencies include
homeless charities, domestic abuse support programmes, local health authorities,
social services, adult social care and the police.
The most effective route for households applying for social housing is through the
local authority housing register. However, for some of our schemes we also operate
an open waiting list or direct access.
Re-lets
5.14 We aim to make available a proportion of our properties to existing tenants
transferring to another home. We will use these properties to accommodate the
following.
o Tenants who have an urgent need to move on medical grounds
o Tenants moving to independent living from supported housing
o Households who are overcrowded or under-occupied
o To support balances and sustainable communities through a local lettings
plan
o Decants. This is where there is an urgent need to move an existing tenant
because of major works or to allow for the redevelopment of the scheme.
Further information is provided in our decant policy.
5.15 We will advertise these homes, with the exception of direct offers through choice
based lettings.
- TEMPORARY ALLOCATIONS
6.1 Temporary allocations of property will not be considered an allocation of property
under this policy. For example, where an existing tenant has been decanted to an
alternative property on a temporary basis. Please see our decants policy for further
guidance. - ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
7.1 We seek to provide housing for those who are not adequately served by the
commercial housing market. Our aim is to let our homes to those in most need. All
applicants must meet our eligibility criteria set out below.
7.2 We follow all current legal and regulatory requirements in assessing applications
from people subject to immigration control. - ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA (NEW ENTRANTS)
8.1 Applicants must:
o have a housing need
o be over 18 years of age, however we will house 16 or 17 year olds where they
have a guarantor in place or where social services has a support plan in place
o have leave to remain in the UK and recourse to public funds and not be subject
to immigration control or be a European Economic Area (EEA) national
exercising their treaty rights
o not own their home or their own residential accommodation elsewhere
o not hold another tenancy elsewhere
o not currently be serving a custodial sentence
o have not been previously evicted for breach of tenancy from a WCCHA property,
including anti-social behaviour, non-payment of rent or charges, tenancy fraud
or misrepresentation.
o not known to have or members of their household are known to have
caused serious anti- social behaviour e.g. have been evicted or convicted due
to antisocial behaviour.
o not have outstanding debts to WCCHA as a result of failure to pay rent, court costs,
rechargeable repairs or any other debt
o be able to demonstrate that they can sustain a tenancy and manage risk, with
support where required, including afford to pay the rent
o be nominated, or bid, for the appropriate size property that they are eligible for
using our bedroom standard
o pass an affordability assessment
o not have been successfully prosecuted for tenancy fraud
o not be in arrears with their previous landlord, or if in arrears must have an active
payment plan in place - LOCAL LETTING PLANS
9.1 We will introduce local lettings plans to address housing management issues and
to help develop a sustainable community in a specific area. We adopt tailored
eligibility criteria for these lets, which take into account the needs of a defined area
in terms of building a balanced and sustainable community, rather than
concentrating on meeting housing needs alone.
9.2 Where we adopt a local lettings plan, we consult with partner organisations
including the local authority(ies) to ensure that the plan reasonably balances the
competing demands of local housing need and the desire to address the specific
issues in the locality. Local lettings plans are regularly reviewed to ensure that they
continue to meet the initial aims. - SENSITIVE LETTINGS
10.1 Where there has been a housing management issue at a specific property, we may
decide to treat the letting of that property as a sensitive let. Rather than
concentrating on housing needs alone, we take into account other factors, such as
support needs, when determining if an applicant is eligible to apply and the property
is suitable.
10.2 By carrying out a sensitive let, we allocate the property to the most appropriate,
priority applicant. Details of any sensitive let are fully recorded on housing
management files. - ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA (EXISTING RESIDENTS)
11.1 A transfer applicant must:
o have a housing need
o be able to demonstrate that they can sustain a tenancy in the new home, with
support where required, including afford to pay rent
o have no outstanding debts to WCCHA, including rent, court costs or charges
o be an assured, or fixed term tenant
o have maintained the property in good condition
o have complied with the terms of their tenancy
o to apply for the appropriate size property that they are eligible for using our
bedroom standard
11.2 In exceptional cases, we consider requests to transfer where a tenant does not fulfil
the criteria set out here. Exceptions for tenants with rent arrears or facing legal
action are considered through our management transfer process. - HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS
12.1 Eligible household members include a person who is included as part of the
household on the original tenancy file or is recorded as being added to the
household (e.g. children).
12.2 We investigate and verify applications where intentional overcrowding has
occurred. We expect potential adult household members to supply evidence that
the tenancy address is their main and principal home. We reserve the right to
determine the appropriate property size for applications that include additional
household members. - TRANSFERS
13.1 We consider transfer requests from tenants who wish to move from their current
home because it is no longer suitable for their needs. Some residents do not have
the right to transfer, including licensees and assured shorthold
tenants. - MANAGEMENT TRANSFERS
14.1 A management transfer can be requested by a tenant who requires a move due to
a serious housing management issue, domestic violence, harassment or severe
financial hardship. An offer of accommodation will be made through CBL.
14.2 We assess each case on its merit and must be satisfied that problems causing the
transfer request will be alleviated by a move to a new home. We request evidence
of any risk through reports provided by external agencies, such as the police, the
GP or social services.
14.3 The local authority award priority banding based on the evidence provided and their
assessment of the case. Where a transfer is granted due to domestic abuse and
the perpetrator and victim of domestic abuse are joint tenants, we offer a new
tenancy to the victim and seek possession of the property.
14.4 We regularly review all management transfers after they are approved to confirm
that the tenant’s circumstances remain the same and they still require priority
status. - DIRECT OFFERS
15.1 In cases where a tenant faces an imminent risk by remaining in their home, and
has provided evidence of this, we may make a reasonable direct offer. A direct offer
is a single offer of an available property made directly to the tenant, not through
CBL. A reasonable offer is one that alleviates the imminent risk to the household
by moving them to a different location.
15.2 15.3 The direct offer and the property the tenant moves from will be like-for-like, with the
same number of bedrooms. We do not consider housing circumstances such as
overcrowding when making a direct offer. In cases where, due to unavailability, we
have been unable to find a like-for-like property within three months, we consider
offering a similar property.
We only make one direct offer. Where a tenant refuses a reasonable direct offer,
we consider whether the transfer request can be dealt with as a management
transfer. - UNDER OCCUPATION
16.1 We recognise that the welfare reforms and the size criteria will adversely affect
some of our tenants and may lead to financial hardship. We will support tenants to
move to accommodation most appropriate to their needs and financial
circumstances, wherever possible. - TRANSFER APPLICANTS WITH NO PRIORITY NEED
17.1 We do not consider transfer requests from tenants who do not present a priority
need. We offer tenants who have no priority need advice about appropriate housing
options including mutual exchange, shared ownership, and market rent
opportunities with other housing partners.
17.2 Our housing staff provide support to residents wishing to mutual exchange and offer
practical support in registering with national online portal Homeswapper.
18.1 TENANCY TYPE AND RENT LEVEL
Fixed term tenancy
Applicants who have not held a tenancy before are issued with a minimum five-year
fixed term tenancy. This type of tenancy will have an additional initial 1 year
probationary period. Existing residents and residents from another landlord
transferring to a property advertised as a fixed term tenancy will retain their security
of tenure, where their original tenancy was granted before 1 April 2012 e.g. periodic
assured tenancy for life.- PROPERTY ALLOCATION CRITERIA
19.1 When allocating a property, we take into account the household size of the
applicant, the support needs of the applicant and the type of property being let to
determine whether the property is suitable for the applicant.
19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 Bedroom size
When allocating homes we observe Part X of the Housing Act 1985 in relation to
statutory overcrowding. We take account of the number, and floor area, of rooms
available for sleeping, and allocate properties to the appropriate sized household.
Bedroom Standard
The Welfare Reform Act 2012 included the Department of Work and Pension (DWP)
social sector size criteria, which introduced housing benefit reductions for working
age tenants who are considered to be under- occupying their homes. Our allocation
criteria reflect the social sector size criteria. We allow for one bedroom for each
person (single adult) or couple living as a household and an extra bedroom for:
o any other person aged 16 years or over
o two children of the same gender under the age of 16
o two children who are under the age of 10 regardless of gender
o a child or adult who requires overnight care from a non-resident carer
o a child or adult who is unable to share a bedroom because of disability
o a foster child where the resident is an approved foster carer, whether they
have a child placed with them or not (as long as they have been approved
or had a placement in the last 12 months).
Adapted properties
In line with our policy on adaptations, properties which have been specially adapted
for use by those with disabilities are, wherever possible, re-cycled to a resident with
a disability or a support need to ensure best use of stock.
Affordability
All applicants are required to undergo an affordability assessment to ensure that
the rent is affordable. We aim to meet the objective that no household should pay
in excess of 40% of their net household income on housing costs (rent including
other charges owed to WCCHA).
19.6 Whilst we accept that this may not be achieved in all cases, where a household will
be paying in excess of 40% of their net household income, the property is
considered unaffordable unless the applicant can demonstrate through the
affordability assessment the ability to meet their financial obligations, to sustain rent
payments and meet other essential living costs.
Tenancy Support
19.7 We aim to create sustainable tenancies. Where appropriate we carry out needs
assessments to identify who may require additional assistance at the start of their
tenancy to establish a new home. By offering this support we aim to reduce the
incidence of failed tenancies and subsequent homelessness.
19.8 Support may be provided by us or by referral to partner support agencies. Such
support is not exclusive to new residents and can be available to residents at times
throughout the tenancy where support needs arise that impact on the management
or sustainment of a tenancy. - ACCEPTING AND REFUSING APPLICATIONS
20.1 We seek to let our homes in a responsible manner. We want to create sustainable
tenancies and communities and avoid establishing tenancies that will fail. We may
refuse to let a property where an applicant is unable to demonstrate their ability to
manage their tenure or where the applicant needs a level of support which we or
another provider cannot facilitate. Where we refuse an offer of accommodation, we
give clear reasons why. - APPEALS AND COMPLAINTS
21.1 An applicant can appeal a decision if they are dissatisfied with the way their
application, selection, offer or allocation has been handled. Appeals are considered
by officers who were not involved in the original decision. If dissatisfied with the
appeal decision, applicants are advised to follow our complaints process. - MONITORING AND TARGETS
22.1 We operate robust monitoring systems to ensure that our lettings service is fair and
managed in accordance with regulation and strategic key performance indicators
(KPIs).
22.2 We work closely with authorities to monitor our nomination arrangements and
provide regular lettings data (LA ‘returns’). The monitoring and provision of data
may vary between local authorities. We provide standardised data to regulators as
necessary and will participate in the Continuous Recording of Lettings (CORE) data
collection.
22.3 We seek feedback from residents once they have moved into their new home to
gauge their satisfaction of our lettings service. - RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT
23.1 We will consult with any new and existing residents regarding our transfer lists and
allocations process for feedback. Resident feedback will enable us to ensure that
housing is allocated to those most in need, improve our service offer and void
turnaround time. - EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT
24.1 In writing this policy we have carried out assessment to ensure that we are
considering, equality, diversity and inclusion. Our assessments did not indicate that
any group had been adversely impacted by our approach to allocations.
24.2 We have also carried out a privacy impact assessment as information regarding
applicants is sensitive. However, responsible information sharing plays a key role
in the letting of our homes. We follow information sharing protocols with local
authorities and our partners where they are in place.
24.3 To request copies of these assessments, please fill out our contact form. - RELATED INTERNAL POLICIES
o Equality and Diversity policy
o Health and safety policy
o Complaints policy and procedure
o General Data Protection policy
o Tenant Involvement policy
o Anti-social Behaviour policy
o Tenancy Management Policy
o Rent setting policy
This is non exhaustive list - CONSULTATION
26.1 This policy will be reviewed in consultation with WCCHA residents and key
stakeholders. - REVIEW AND APPROVAL
27.1 This policy will be reviewed at least every two years or as required to take into
account changes in legislation and local authority tenancy strategies.
Responsible officer: Raj Khalid
Policy Author: Raj Khalid
Policy version: 1.0
Date of Policy Review Group Approval: June 2025
Date the next review is due: June 2027