How housing is allocated set for changes (From Thurrock Gazette)
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How housing is allocated set for changes
8:00am Friday 19th October 2012 in News
THURROCK Council is set to introduce major changes to the way it allocates its social housing.
A new scheme was dubbed “a fantastic piece of work” by Cllr Rob Gledhill, pictured left, chairman of the council’s housing overview and scrutiny committee last Wednesday as the panel scoured the report.
The current scheme, which was adopted in 2005, is now said to be out-dated, with the new scheme taking a fresh approach to who qualifies for any of the 10,300 properties owned by the council, while also proposing a range of incentives to encourage tenants to downsize.
Changes include a new eligiblity criteria, where applicants wanting a house must meet immigration, financial and behaviour criteria.
This means applicants with assets or income above certain levels will be excluded, applicants will only be put on the waiting list if they have a local connection, such as residence, family or employment in the borough for a period of five years or more and a behaviour criteria, which could exclude applicants with an unruly past.
Extra priority will also be given to former members of the armed services, in line with the council’s veterans charter.
Current tenants will also receive a higher priority to move should they wish to downsize, which would free up bigger homes for families.
Working households will also be rewarded under the new policy, with 15 per cent of all properties being just for working households or households making a contribution to the community.
The ways in which overcrowding is assessed in houses is also set to change.
Presenting the report to the scrutiny committee, Cllr Phil Anderson, chairman of the cross-party task and finish group, said: “We’ve got to change and refresh our allocations policy.
“Local people feel local people should have priority.
“We’ve got a waiting list of 5,000. This policy is designed to better meet specific needs and circumstances.”
The report will be put before cabinet next month.
Comments(5)
Thurrock Trojan
says...
8:04pm Fri 19 Oct 12
rocket1 wrote:And stop giving housing to foreigners.
the aim should be fairness,no queue jumpers.
Mr Disgusted
says...
9:31pm Fri 19 Oct 12
Thurrock Trojan wrote:Quite right Trojan homes for people who live here born here and not for thoses who come over here and first thing they get is money and a house/flat for little nothing!!!!!!!!!!!
rocket1 wrote:And stop giving housing to foreigners.
the aim should be fairness,no queue jumpers.
ebagumtrebor
says...
6:51am Sat 20 Oct 12
Mr Disgusted
says...
8:49pm Sat 20 Oct 12
nd when will they see that the problem of all this is/has become cos of too many people coming over here taking our homes,jobs and money!!!!!!,this Country is ONLY Island and NOT GOT UNLIMITED ROOM for everybody to move in/onto!!!!!!!!!!!th
erefore ONLY limited jobs for these in it and that is why for god's sake there is now NOT enough jobs and homes for people and before too long not enough WATER,POWER!!!!!!.
This big problem now that we are in has become due to that fact that NOT ONLY THIS GOVERMENT BUT EVERY GOVERMENT CAN NOT OR DO NOT WHAT TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON OR DON'T WHAT TO KNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!
rocket1 says...
1:21pm Fri 19 Oct 12