14 - Changes to housing applications before Cabinet

 

Councillors will be asked to approve the roll out across the borough of the council’s Choice Based Lettings system, called Dudley at Home, which has been running as a pilot for properties in the Halesowen and Stourbridge areas since last December.

 

The system is designed to provide customers with more choice and involvement in selecting a new home. It allows customers to see details of all available properties and apply for those that meet their needs.

At the meeting next Wednesday (March 19) cabinet will also be asked to approve the introduction of a new system for allocating housing to replace the traditional points system. A banding scheme will be recommended to the cabinet which it is hoped will make it clearer to identify applicants most in need.

The new system will place applicants in one of several bands dependent on their need. For instance, Band 2 would be for people with urgent needs and would include applicants who are homeless, are overcrowded or have an urgent medical or disability need.

“Both systems are more open and transparent and the Choice Based Lettings will also enable people to take an active part in looking for a property. If the Cabinet approves the recommendation for banding then we will start a process that will include full consultation and modelling of the scheme to ensure that those in priority need will not be overlooked or overtaken.”