Council Housing Allocation To Move From Points To ‘Fairer’ Band System

A new policy that would see those applying for Council housing moved from a point based system to a ‘priority band’ system could soon be implemented in Wrexham.

In a report due to go before the Executive Board meeting next week, it is recommended that proposals to amend Wrexham Council’s current housing allocation system should be approved by councillors.

Currently the Council’s Allocation process is based on a points system, a system which has been in place since 2005. The system allows a number of points to be allocated for a variety of reasons, however no account is taken of the amount of time that a person has been waiting to be re-housed.

This particular system has led to some branding it as ‘unfair’, as often applicants who have a housing need can be continually bypassed, in favour of those who have been registered for housing for only a matter of weeks.

The report goes onto add: “The current policy takes no account of the number of offers that an applicant can refuse, regardless of location or suitability, nor an applicant’s financial capacity to satisfy their own housing need.”

However in a report due to go before councillors on Tuesday it is proposed ‘to change the Allocations Policy from one that prioritises applicants by awarding points, to one that places applicants into a priority band, depending on their circumstances’.

The decision to move from a points based system to a banding system would bring the ‘Council’s Allocations Policy will bring it up to date with recent developments in case law, changes in Welsh Government guidance regarding allocations and Westminster Government legislation relating to Welfare Benefit Reform.”

The ‘banding’ system would consist of four Bands, from one to four in descending order of priority. The band in which an applicant is placed, depends on housing need (based on the ‘reasonable preference groups’), local priorities and whether there is a local connection to Wrexham.

For example it is proposed that a property will be allocated, in the first instance, to the applicant in Band One, with a ‘Community Connection’, who has been waiting the longest for the type of property that is available in that area.

The report goes onto add: “Applicants would be placed in a priority band, depending on their housing need. Properties would then be allocated to the applicant in the highest band, with a Community Connection, who has been waiting the longest.

“This system will be easier to understand, be more straightforward to operate and be seen as fairer. It will give a degree of recognition to the amount of time that applicants have been waiting for housing, whilst still allowing the Council to fulfil its statutory duty to help those who are in the most housing need.”

The report will go before the Executive Board on Tuesday at 2pm. For those interested in watching the meeting – it should be webcast live on the Wrexham Council website and is more interesting and watchable than it sounds!

The full Council Housing Allocation report can be viewed in full here.