)PNF'JOEFS Choice Based Lettings Information Guide Providing Quality Homes & Neighbourhoods HOUSING
If you need any help communicating with us or understanding any of our documents, please contact us on 01909 534520. Mandarin Urdu Punjabi Polish We can arrange for a copy of this document in large print, audiotape, Braille or for a Language Line interpreter or translator to help you. Our contact details: ) 01909 534520 * SMS Text phone 07779 533533 8 e-mail: customer.services@a1housing.co.uk CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE
Introduction Bassetlaw District Council (BDC) allocates properties by using a Choice Based Lettings (CBL) System called HomeFinder, which is operated by A1 Housing. This booklet is designed to give an overview of the HomeFinder Scheme and Lettings policy. What is Choice Based Lettings? CBL is a new way of allocating properties. Each week A1 Housing will advertise properties and give applicants the opportunity of having a say in where they want to live. This enables them to be actively involved in the decision of getting a property in their area of choice. By giving more choice it is hoped to build more settled and sustainable communities. Further information and a full Lettings Policy can be obtained on our website www.a1housing.co.uk or by ringing us on 01777 713887 or 01777 713801 or by visiting our property shops at Worksop or Retford. CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE
Who Can Apply? The Council operates an open housing register, so anyone can apply, including existing BDC tenants, however the following conditions will apply: Applicants must normally be aged 18 years and over to go on the Housing Register. Applicants aged 16 or 17 years accepted as Homeless and / or who have a Supporting People or Floating Support package will also be accepted. A1 Housing cannot accept applications from people who are not qualifying persons as defined under section 160A of the Housing Act 1996. Applications will be accepted from people who are in paid work in the Bassetlaw area for at least 16 hours per week, however proof of this will be required. Applicants who do not live or work in the Bassetlaw area will be placed in Band E. Applicants who are under 60 years of age who are owners of a residential property will be placed in Band E. Lettings Bands The allocation of properties will be determined by 5 bands according to housing need. To go onto the housing register applicants must complete a housing application form. This will provide the information necessary to assess the need for re-housing. Applicants will be placed in 1 of the 5 lettings bands dependant on their circumstances. There is a single Housing Register and existing BDC tenants will have their request for rehousing assessed on the same basis as other applicants on the register. CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE
The 5 Lettings Bands are as Follows: Band A - Applicants with Severe / Urgent Needs for Re-Housing: Applicants who will be statutorily homeless following assessment by BDC. Applicants whose current home is statutorily unfit. Applicants whose current property is found to be statutorily overcrowded. Applicants where there is immediate threat of severe violence or threat to life. Applicants whose current Council property requires major repair works. Applicants where there are emergency circumstances, where they can no longer live in their current Council property. Applicants, or a member of their family, with severe medical need for re-housing, following assessment by A1 Housing s Medical Panel. Applicants with a need for a substantially adapted property. Band B Applicants with High Housing Needs: Existing BDC tenants where their move would release a high demand property. Successor tenants willing to move to a smaller property. Family members of deceased BDC tenants, without right of succession, who are willing to move to a smaller property. BDC tenants who will release a property with substantial adaptations where they are no longer needed. BDC tenants who will release senior citizen accommodation where it is no longer needed. CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE
Housing applicants who qualify for 3 or more need categories from Band C (see next section). Applicants whose re-housing would release a unit of supported accommodation. Applicants whose re-housing has been requested under the Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements. Applicants whose re-housing has been requested by a Nottinghamshire County Council referral under the Children s Act. Applicants, or a member of their family, with a high medical need for rehousing, following assessment by A1 Housing s Medical Panel. Applicants being discharged from hospital where there is no alternative temporary or permanent accommodation. An applicant s position within Bands A and B will be determined by the date they entered the band. Band C Applicants with Some Housing Needs: Families with children aged 10 years or under in a 2nd floor flat or above Senior Citizens aged 60 or over in a 2nd floor flat or above. BDC tenants who are releasing at least 1 bedroom by being prepared to move to a smaller property. Applicants who are in insecure or shared accommodation. Applicants whose property is in poor condition and prejudicial to health. Applicants living in cramped conditions. Applicants who have a substantial need to move in order give or receive support from a relative, friend or carer. Applicants, or a member of their family, with some medical need for rehousing, following assessment by A1 Housing s Medical Panel. CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE
Band D Applicants with Low Housing Needs: Applicants who do not qualify in Bands A, B or C. Band E All Other Housing Applicants: Applicants under 60 years of age who currently own or have financial interest in a residential property. Applicants who do not live or work in Bassetlaw. Owner occupiers over 60 years of age who want to be considered for a property designated for those under 60 years of age. Applicants in Bands C, D and E will be positioned by the date of their application. A percentage of properties will be allocated to Bands A, B, C and D. Properties will be allocated to Band E in the absence of suitable applicants from Bands A-D. For full details of percentages allocated to each Band, please refer to our website. What Kind of Property Can I Apply For? We have properties designated for single persons, couples and families, which include flats, maisonettes and houses. We also have senior citizen designated accommodation for applicants, at least one of which must be aged 60 years and over. The size and type of property we will allow you to bid for will depend on the size of your current household, as shown in the following table on page 8. CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE
Senior Citizen Designated Flat / Sheltered Flat Single Person Couple Flat or Maisonette Bedsit 1 Bed 2 Bed Bungalow 1 Bed 2 Bed e.g a Senior Citizen couple could not be considered for a bedsit. General Needs Accommodation Single Person Flat or Maisonette Bedsit 1 Bed Couple Family 1 or more child/children 2 Bed 3 Bed House 2 Bed 3 Bed 4 Bed e.g a single person could not be considered for a house. Family 3 or more children CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE
Advertising Properties Vacant properties will be advertised to ensure all applicants have the opportunity to bid. The adverts will be available on our website, www. a1housing.co.uk, at Worksop Property Shop, Queen s Buildings and Retford Property Shop, 17b The Square, on a dedicated phone line, 0800 590542 and at various points throughout Bassetlaw. The properties will be advertised each week starting on a Thursday. The adverts will tell you about the size, type and location of the property, usually with a photo of a similar property type, and letting band given preference. How to Bid for a Property Properties will be advertised each week. The bidding time will commence on a Thursday and closes on the following Tuesday. Applicants can express an interest in up to 3 properties. This interest is called a bid. There will be several ways to make a bid, for example: by a dedicated phone line 0845 230 4365 on the website www.homefinder.org.uk by visiting one of our Property Shops and completing a bidding card The time at which the bid is received within each advertising cycle has NO bearing on the selection process. CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE
How the Bids are Sorted All bids received by the closing date will be sorted by Band and application date. The successful applicant for properties in Band A & B will be placed in date order, based on the date they entered Band A or B. The successful applicant for Band C, D & E, will be the earliest date the application was made. If no successful applications are received from the preferred Band, bids from applicants in other Bands will be considered. What Happens Next? Successful applicants will be contacted shortly after the closing date to arrange a viewing and moving in date. Feedback on homes that have been recently let will be published on the website, in our advertising locations within the property shops at Retford and Worksop. Unsuccessful applicants will not be contacted directly. The results will be published on the website, in our advertising locations within the property shops at Retford and Worksop so that unsuccessful applicants will be able to find out how long they may have to wait for a particular locality / dwelling type. Mutual Exchanges A mutual exchange is where 2 existing tenants agree to exchange properties. Information on Mutual Exchanges can be found by visiting the website or by contacting a member of the HomeFinder Team on 01777 713887 or 01777 713801. 10 CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE
Housing Management Lets Properties can be excluded from the bidding process in extreme and / or urgent circumstances and will not be included in the HomeFinder Scheme. Assessment of Medical Need for Re-Housing An assessment of an applicant s needs for re-housing on medical grounds is determined by A1 Housing s Medical Panel. The Medical Panel will consist of a Senior Officer of A1 Housing and a suitably qualified Medical Practitioner. Requests for consideration by the Medical Panel can be made by an applicant or by someone acting on their behalf. A1 Housing will supply a Self Assessment Form, which must be completed in full to allow the Medical Panel to assess the applicant s needs for rehousing. Exclusion and Suspension from the Housing Register When an application is received, a number of checks are carried out to verify the details. There are some circumstances in which an applicant may be excluded or suspended from the Housing Register. Examples of possible circumstances that would lead to suspension or exclusion from the Housing Register are: Debts and arrears owed to BDC or other Registered Social Landlord in respect of a housing application must normally be cleared before an offer can be made. Any applicant or member of their household against whom legal or other enforcement action is being taken. CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE 11
Council or other tenants evicted for a breach of their conditions of tenancy (whether by them or another member of their household). Applicants or a member of their household convicted of a serious criminal offence that would be in breach of the Council s tenancy conditions. Malicious damage to or neglect of a property. Using or allowing the use of a property for illegal or immoral purposes. Violence or aggression towards staff or agents of A1 Housing / BDC. Right to Information and Appeal / Review of an Application Applicants have a right to request information about their housing application, including how their application is being treated. Applicants can appeal against any decision made about their housing application, within 21 days of the notification of the original decision by writing to the Housing Advice Team s at either, 17b The Square, Retford, Notts, DN22 6DB or Queen s Building, Potter Street, Worksop, Notts, S80 2AH. A Senior Officer of A1 Housing, who did not make the original decision will then review the decision. This is just a short summary of our HomeFinder Policy for your information. Our full policy can be found on our website www.a1housing.co.uk. 1 CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE
frequently asked questions AQ
1. What is Choice Based Lettings? Choice Based Lettings (CBL) is the new way of allocating properties. The principle is to advertise available properties and give applicants requiring accommodation the opportunity to be actively involved in getting a home in their area of choice. 2. What is HomeFinder? This is the name of BDC s Choice Based Lettings Scheme, which will be managed by A1 Housing on behalf of BDC. 3. When will HomeFinder start? HomeFinder will begin in Spring 2009. 4. Will I still get points? No. Giving priority to applicants in housing need will no longer be based on points. Under HomeFinder you will be placed in band A to E according to your current circumstances. Your position within bands A and B will be decided by the date you entered the band. Your position in Bands C, D and E will be decided by the date of your application. 5. What will the Bands be? A Brief Summary of the Bands is: Band A Applicants with Severe / Urgent Needs for re-housing Band B Applicants with High Housing Needs Band C Applicants with Some Housing Needs Band D Applicants with Low Housing Needs Band E Applicants with No Housing Needs 1 CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE
6. How will I know when properties will be available? Vacant properties will be advertised to ensure all applicants have a reasonable chance to bid for a property. Bidding for a HomeFinder property means an applicant expressing an interest in an available property, it does not mean a financial bid. The adverts will be available at various points throughout Bassetlaw and on the website. The properties will be advertised starting Thursday and closing the following Tuesday. The adverts will tell you about the size, type and location of the property, usually with a photograph. 7. How can I bid for a property? There will be several ways to bid for a property, including on the A1 Website, in person at one of the A1 Property Shops at Retford and Worksop and by a dedicated phone line. You can express an interest in up to 3 properties in any single bidding cycle (Thursday noon to Tuesday midnight). 8. Does it matter when I bid? No. You can bid at any time within each weekly bidding cycle. The time at which the bid is received in each cycle has no effect on the selection process. However bids received after the closing date will not be considered in that cycle. 9. Will I be able to monitor my position on the shortlist? Yes. You will be able to view your current position on the website or enquire at one of our Property Shops. However your position may change throughout the bidding cycle as other applicants bid. CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE 1
10. How will I be allocated a property? Once the bidding cycle has closed the HomeFinder team will offer the property to the first eligible person. However, prior to the offer of accommodation, further checks will be carried out to make sure all information on your application is correct and up-to-date. 11. How will I know if I have been successful? Successful applicants will be contacted shortly after the closing date to arrange an accompanied viewing of the property. If you refuse the offer of a property you will not be penalised. However if you have been given Band A or Band B status and have refused one or more properties, your Band A or Band B status may be cancelled. 12. How will I know if I m unsuccessful? Unsuccessful applicants will not be contacted. However the results will be published so you can see the banding and waiting time of the successful applicant and get an indication of how long you may have to wait for a particular locality / dwelling type. No personal information about the applicant will be shown. 13. Do I still have to be 60 years or over to qualify for a bungalow or senior citizen flat? Yes. Bungalows or senior citizen flats will normally only be allocated to applicants 60 years or over. 1 CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE
14. What if I don t agree with the band I ve been awarded? If you do not agree with the band you have been awarded you should contact the Housing Advice Team on, 01909 533426 or 01777 713202, so we can discuss your housing application and make sure we are aware of all your circumstances and if necessary, check that we have all the supporting documentation required. 15. Will those in a higher band get all the available properties? No. The Council wants to enable as many people as possible to get a property of their choice. A proportion of all available properties will be let to applicants in Bands A, B, C & D in line with an overall allocations target. These targets will be subject to regular review and amendment. Band E applications will only be considered in the absence of any successful bidders on Bands A, B, C & D. HomeFinder Team: 01777 713887 or 01777 713801 Housing Advice Team 01909 533426 or 01777 713202 CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE 1
Notes 1 CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE
Notes CHOICE BASED LETTINGS INFORMATION GUIDE 1
How to contact us ) By phone Head Office Area Office West Area Office East 01909 534484 01909 533426 01777 713202 Freephone Repairs and Contact Centre 0800 590542 8:00am - 8:00pm 8 On-line Visit our website at www.a1housing.co.uk You can also email us at customer.services@a1housing.co.uk By visiting us Head Office Carlton Forest House, Hundred Acre Lane, Worksop, Notts S81 0TS Area Office East 17B The Square, Retford, Notts DN22 6DB Area Office West Queen s Buildings, Potter Street, Worksop, Notts S80 2AH All of our offices are open Monday to Friday between 8.40am and 5pm * By writing to us A1 Housing Bassetlaw Limited Carlton Forest House, Hundred Acre Lane, Worksop, Notts S81 0TS SMS text message 07779 533533 À Developed in partnership with tenants A1 Housing Bassetlaw Ltd, a company controlled by Bassetlaw District Council HOUSING www.a1housing.co.uk GL26 version 1-01/09