July Accessible Housing

Transcription

1 July 2012 Accessible Housing

2 1 1. Accessible Housing Very few of the properties available through Bedfordshire Homefinder have been adapted to meet the needs of people who have a disability and so it is important that these are let to households who really need them. We have introduced a new way of advertising adapted housing and finding the right household for them. Properties that are suitable for people who have a physical disability or mobility difficulties will be clearly labelled to show this. This will provide applicants on the housing register with enough information to help them find a suitable home for their household. 2. How will adapted properties be highlighted? Landlords advertising through Bedfordshire Homefinder will identify properties that are suitable for people who have physical disabilities or mobility difficulties. These properties will be given a MOB code depending on the level of adaptations that have been carried out, as follows: MOB1 property is fully wheelchair accessible inside and outside MOB2 property is wheelchair accessible inside and outside but only major rooms inside are adapted, i.e. living room, kitchen, bathroom and at least one bedroom MOB3 property has wheelchair access and is step free MOB4 property is step free, with level access throughout or has a stair lift MOB5 property has minimal steps (1-4) inside and outside, or has a stair lift MOB6 property is a lifetime home and so can be adapted in the future. The MOB code will be shown as a symbol. For example, a property given a MOB2 code would have the following symbol: 3. What other information will be available? Full details of any adaptations within the property will be included in the advert. This could include things such as: number of steps in the property ramp access wide doorways wet rooms/level access showers internal lifts/stair lifts door/window openers adapted kitchens

3 2 4. What do adverts look like? Below is an example of how an advert for an adapted property will look and how to see the details of the adaptations in a property. The Accessible Housing Category and MOB symbol will be shown. Click here to See More photos of the property if there are any additional images. Click on Accessibility Information for further details of any adaptations. 1

4 3 The Accessibility Information screen will then appear. The Accessibility Notes will show details of adaptations within the property. You can click on the Wheelchair Access Details link to see the specifi c adaptations for a wheelchair user. 5. How will you assess if I need an adapted property? Households that apply for social rent housing who have a physical disability or mobility issues will be asked to complete a medical form. Applicants will also be asked to provide details of any assessments carried out by an occupational therapist/medical offi cer/doctor. Once a household has been assessed and any needs have been identifi ed, they will also be given a MOB code. This will match the MOB codes given to adapted properties, from MOB1 to MOB6, depending on the sort of adapted property they require. Applicants who are given a MOB code should look for advertised properties with the matching MOB code, as these homes will best suit the needs of their household. However, applicants with a MOB code can also look at other suitable accommodation. 6. How can I apply for adapted housing? You need to complete an application form and a medical form and provide documents as proof of the details you have given, such as an occupational therapy report or a letter from your doctor. You can contact your local housing offi ce or download an application form to apply. Your application will be assessed, looking at your current circumstances and if you are eligible, your application will be placed in the appropriate band on the housing register. Your band will show you the level of priority you have been given for social housing, i.e. urgent, high, medium or low. We will write to you to tell you which band you are in.

5 4 7. How do I find suitable housing? Once your application is assessed, you will be given your login details for Bedfordshire Homefinder and told which property types you are eligible to bid on. Bidding means you register your interest in a vacant property and does not involve any monetary payment. There is also a facility for the system to place bids on suitable properties for you, if you are unable to do this yourself. We currently advertise properties weekly from Thursday to Tuesday. During this time, you can search through details of all the properties you are eligible for and decide which you wish to bid on. We use symbols and text to describe the property to make it easy for you to search for properties you want. You can bid on up to three properties in each advertising cycle. 8. What happens after bidding has closed? Once bidding has closed, the property will be offered to the bidder who has the highest priority on the housing register, i.e. the person who has the highest band and need level. Bidders with a MOB code that match a property with a MOB code will be given preference over bidders who do not need those adaptations. 9. How can I get further information? Go to or contact a Bedfordshire Homefinder landlord for further information: Central Bedfordshire Central Bedfordshire Council Telephone: Luton Luton Borough Council Telephone:

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