Common Allocation Policy for Tees Valley Lettings Partnership

The scheme has 4 bands. All eligible applicants will have their circumstances assessed and will be placed in the relevant band, according to their level of housing need.

Band 1 Urgent housing need

People living in the partnership area who are losing their home due to demolition or regeneration.

This includes registered provider tenants, private tenants and owner occupiers living within the boundary of a defined regeneration area who are required to move home, provided they have lived there, as their sole or main home, for at least 12 months. Proof of residency will be requested.

Applicants will only be given Band 1 priority for the local authority area where they live when this has been confirmed by their landlord.

People assessed as statutorily homeless and in priority need

People who have been accepted as statutorily homeless and in priority need and where the main homeless duty is owed (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996). People in this category may receive a direct offer of housing.

Applicants will need to be assessed by the local authority homelessness teams before this priority will be awarded. Contact details for each local authority homelessness team can be found on the Appendix 1 Contacts section.

People who are owed the homelessness prevention or relief duty

Applicants who, following assessment, are owed the homelessness prevention or relief duty. If duty has been discharged through the refusal of a reasonable offer of accommodation, the applicant will be placed into Band 4. If the duty is discharged for any other reason, the applicant will be placed into the band appropriate to their assessed housing needs.

Applicants will need to be assessed by the local authority homelessness team before this priority will be awarded. Contact details for each local authority homelessness team can be found on the Appendix 1 Contacts section.

People at risk of domestic abuse

Victims of domestic abuse who have lost their accommodation or who are at risk of losing their accommodation because of violence or a threat of violence. People in this category may receive a direct offer of housing.

Applicants will need to be assessed by the local authority homelessness teams before this priority will be awarded. Contact details for each local authority homelessness team can be found on the Appendix 1 Contacts section.

People leaving HM Armed Forces community

People leaving the HM Armed Forces community. This will include a member of the Armed Forces who is serving or has formerly served in the regular forces, who is serving or has formerly served in the reserved forces, a bereaved spouse or civil partner, or a divorced spouse or civil partner.

Applicants will need to be assessed by the local authority homelessness teams before this priority will be awarded. Contact details for each local authority homelessness team can be found on the Appendix 1 Contacts section.

Band 2 High housing need

People who need to move on urgent medical grounds

Applicants who have been assessed by one of the partners as requiring alternative accommodation because their medical condition (physical or mental health) or disability is having a significantly detrimental effect on their ability to live in their current home.

Applicants will be referred to the relevant local authority team for assessment by an occupational therapist before any band award is made under this category.

People assessed as ready for independent living

Those who need to move as part of an agreed plan to re-integrate into the community, for example people leaving supported and temporary housing projects.

People with learning disabilities who are assessed as having to move to receive care and support or where their current housing is having a detrimental effect on their quality of life and ability to live independently.

Please note this priority will not be awarded for those living with family or friends.

A household with a child in need or care leaver

As defined in the Children Act 1989, where a formal referral has been made by social services with the aim of safeguarding the welfare of the child or children, or a child or children leaving the care of the local authority under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000.

Adoptive parents, prospective adoptive parents or foster carers

Those who need to move due to their current accommodation being unsuitable or who need to move to a different location to safeguard or promote the wellbeing of the child or children they have adopted or are planning to adopt, or foster children in foster care.

Applicants will be required to provide documentation from the local authority to confirm their adoptive or foster carer status before any band award is made under this category.

People living in unacceptable housing conditions

People who are living in accommodation where, following a property inspection by the local authority, an assessment has concluded that the property contains unacceptable hazards, and it has a duty to act.

Applicants will be referred to the relevant local authority team for assessment before any band award is made under this category.

Social housing tenants of the partner organisations (Beyond Housing and North Star) that are underoccupying their accommodation by 2 or more bedrooms

Calculations for under-occupancy will be based upon the number of people within the household and the criteria set out by the Department of Work and Pensions. Please see the Appendix 1 Contacts section for details of partner organisations and the Appendix 4 Under-occupation, overcrowding and additional bedrooms section for details of under-occupation, overcrowding and additional bedrooms.

Applicants will only be considered for properties that fit their household's identified housing need.

Band 3 Medium housing need

People who need to move due to a high medical need

People who have been assessed by one of the partners as having a medical condition (physical or mental health) or a disability where a move to alternative accommodation would significantly improve their health.

Applicants will be referred to the relevant local authority team for assessment by an occupational therapist before any band award is made under this category.

People living in overcrowded conditions

Overcrowding is assessed on the number of people within the household and according to the best use of bedrooms and sleeping spaces available. The calculation shown on the Appendix 4 Under-occupation, overcrowding and additional bedrooms section will be used to determine overcrowding.

Social housing tenants of the partner organisations (Beyond Housing and North Star) that are underoccupying their accommodation by 1 bedroom

Calculations for under-occupancy will be based upon the number of people within the household and the criteria set out by the Department of Work and Pensions. Please see the Appendix 1 Contacts section for details of partner organisations and the Appendix 4 Under-occupation, overcrowding and additional bedrooms section for details of under-occupation, overcrowding and additional bedrooms.

Applicants will only be considered for properties that fit their household's identified housing need.

People who need to move on hardship grounds

People who need to move to a particular area to take up an offer of employment, education, or training, or to be nearer to family or friends in order to give or receive support, providing it is unreasonable to expect them to commute from their existing home.

People suffering financial hardship, for example if their income is insufficient to cover reasonable living expenses and financial commitments.

The relevant local authority team will complete a hardship assessment before any band award is made under this category.

People sharing facilities with persons not of the same household

People sharing facilities with other people who are not members of the same household, for example:

• people living in houses in multiple occupation
• bed and breakfast
• hostel
• those who continue to live together following a relationship breakdown

Gypsies and Travellers will be considered under this category if they are sharing communal facilities, for example WC or showers whilst residing on an authorised site. Please note that this is not applied to applicants who are living with family or friends.

Band 4 Low housing need

A person whose current home is adequate to meet their basic housing needs in terms of lifestyle, size, design and location, or a person who has refused a reasonable offer of accommodation or worsened their own circumstances.

Applicants may also be placed in this band while further assessment is completed.

Viewing properties and refusing offers

When an applicant has been selected for an offer, the landlord will contact them to arrange to view the property before deciding to accept it. Sometimes, more than one applicant may be invited to view.

If an applicant who has been given priority for housing refuses an offer that meets their housing need and this refusal is unreasonable, they may have their priority removed and be placed in band 4 for a period of six months.

Time allowed for accepting an offer

Applicants will usually be allowed 2 working days to respond to an offer, but individual circumstances will be taken into account and applicants with specific needs will be given more time, for example if an assessment for adaptation works is needed or someone with a disability needs more time to consider the move.