Harrogate Borough Council
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Golden Triangle Partnership
Allocation Priorities
Everyone has the right to make an application for housing accommodation.
The Council gives reasonable preference to the following:-
- people who are homeless
- people occupying insanitary or overcrowded housing, or otherwise living in unsatisfactory housing conditions
- people who need to move on medical or welfare grounds
- people who need to move to a particular locality in the district of the housing authority, where failure to meet that need would cause hardship.
The Council operates a points system whereby points are awarded to reflect needs.
Ineligibility
Applicants may be ineligible for housing accommodation if they, or any member of their household, have previously been guilty of behaviour that would have entitled the Council to a possession order, had they been a Council tenant.
Applicants who are subject to Immigration Control under the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 and/or applicants who have failed the Habitual Resident Test may also be ineligible for housing accommodation.
Some applicants may be deferred from the List, which means their application may not be considered when accommodation becomes available. Deferral means that an applicant will not be considered for a fixed period, which is usually 6, 12 or 24 months.
Deferrals
Applicants can be deferred for the following reasons:-
- At their own request
- Pending further investigation of information
- Because they have arrears/debt with the Council
- Because the Council has determined that they may be unsuitable tenants
- Because they are in prison
- Because the applicant has moved to worse accommodation of their own accord and as a result, the additional points the applicant becomes entitled to, may be deferred
- Refusal of three offers of accommodation made to the applicant
If you do not agree with the reason for your deferral or with the decision that you are ineligible for the allocation of housing accommodation, you have the right to request a review of that decision. To request a review, please write to:
Housing Needs Manager, Victoria Park House, Victoria Avenue, Harrogate HG1 5QY.
Local Connection
- An applicant currently lives in the District/letting area and has done so for at least two years.
- An applicant has previously lived in the District/letting area for a continuous period of 10 years.
- An applicant has close family living in the District/letting area, who have done so for at least the last five years. Close family is defined as children, parents, brothers and sisters only.
- An applicant has permanent employment in the District/letting area.
Social and Welfare Needs
The Council operates a policy whereby applicants who have a social and/or welfare need to move can receive additional points. This may be a need to move to give or receive support, to access employment and/or training or to meet the specific needs of a member of the household such as a child who needs to attend a special school. The points system provides for low and high level needs.
Policy on Choice
Applicants are able to express choice of the size, type and location of their preferred accommodation. Applicants may select a higher number of bedrooms than the number actually required, but will only be allowed to under-occupy accommodation by one bedroom.
Priority for a vacancy will normally be given to applicants whose household size most appropriately matches the number of bedrooms available.
Medical Needs
The Council uses an independent doctor to assess applicants' medical points. The doctor will contact the applicant's GP to obtain the necessary information. In the event that an applicant has not visited their GP recently, a Health Visitor will make contact with the applicant to assess the entitlement to medical points.
If an applicant's condition deteriorates significantly, a further medical assessment will be permitted, but this will not normally be undertaken until six months after the date of the original assessment.
Disrepair
The Council awards points to applicants who are currently living in accommodation which is in disrepair. The points awarded reflect low, medium and high levels of disrepair.
Financial Resources
If the applicant, and/or anyone who is to be rehoused with the applicant(s) have, together or individually, savings, investments and equity of less than £60,000, they will be awarded additional points to reflect the difficulties they may face when seeking to purchase or rent accommodation. This limit will be waived in the event that the applicant requires access to specialist accommodation which cannot be accessed or acquired in the area in which the applicant wishes to live.
Families
The Council operates several policies to specifically reflect the needs of families.
Applicants who have children under the age of 13 living in accommodation without a garden and/or wholly above ground floor, can be awarded additional points.
Applicants with children of a different sex aged eight or over sharing a bedroom, and/or of the same sex where more than two people share a bedroom, shall be awarded additional points.
Applications from families who are currently forced to live apart due to the inadequacy of their accommodation can qualify for additional points.
Applicants who have part-time residency of children may be allocated accommodation with additional bedrooms, subject to verification of circumstances.
Applicants' Suitability
The Council can take into account the current and former behaviour of an applicant when considering that applicant for rehousing. Applicants whose behaviour may lead the Council to determine that they may be "unsuitable" tenants may be deferred for up to 24 months, subject to review.
Time on List
Time on List points will be allocated up to a maximum of 10 points (two per annum), but can be added only if an applicant receives points for Categories 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 as detailed in the points information sheet.
Actual time on the list will continue to be a determining factor beyond the maximum points allocation, although no additional points will be awarded.
Carers
Applicants who receive support from a carer who does not ordinarily reside with them, may be considered for accommodation with one additional bedroom.
Right to Request Information
Applicants have the right to be notified in writing if they are ineligible for housing or if they are considered unsuitable to be a tenant of the housing authority.
Applicants have the right to be informed of any decision about their application, including how the application is being treated.
Applicants have the right to information to enable them to determine whether or not they will be granted reasonable preference and how long they may have to wait for the allocation of accommodation.
Applicants have the right to see any information held by the Council about them.
A full copy of the Council's Allocation Policy can be obtained from: Head of Housing, Department of Community Services, Springfield House, Kings Road, Harrogate HG1 5NX.
Right to Review
Applicants have the right to request a review of any decision in respect of any aspect of their application for housing accommodation.