Angus Council/Hillcrest Housing Association House Allocation in Angus

The aim of Angus Council and Hillcrest Housing Association's allocations policy is to address local housing need, considering good practice and relevant legislation. To achieve this, our allocations policy:

is responsive to local supply and demand
provides suitable access routes to other landlords
is consistent, fair and non-discriminatory
is easy to understand for both users and providers
considers customer choice and wishes
provides a transparent and accountable service.

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Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

Who can apply?

We will accept applications from anyone aged 16 or over. Following assessment and verification of their application, the applicant will be placed on an appropriate group.

How do I apply?

In person: Pick up a housing application form from any of the Council's ACCESS Offices or any Hillcrest Housing Association office in the Angus area. By telephone: Call the Housing Options Team (CHR) on 01307 474765 to request the form or download the form below.

How does the allocations system work?

Angus Council and Hillcrest Housing Association have the same allocation policy. Other housing providers will continue to allocate housing using their own allocation policy.

A common allocation policy makes the process of applying for housing fairer, simpler and more consistent. With a common policy, applicants will be assessed and allocated housing in the same way rather than having to go through two routes and that housing is allocated according to the level of priority awarded to an applicant.

The aims of the policy are to meet housing need fairly by giving priority to people in housing need, making best use of available housing and helping to sustain communities.

What happens when an applicant applies for housing?

Their application will be acknowledged within five working days and the Housing Options Team (CHR) aims to process all applications and advise applicants of the outcome within 28 days. However this may take longer if we have to carry out a medical assessment or a housing support assessment.

Once the information in the form is confirmed, the applicant will be advised in writing of:

their unique application number
what housing list their application has been placed on
the points awarded to their application
the housing providers they are being considered for
where they can get additional housing information and advice
how to appeal or complain.

How are housing needs assessed?

We will use the information the applicant provides to place their application in the correct waiting groups. Sometimes we will have to check this information and may contact their landlord or other Council departments.

What does an assessment help us do?

An assessment tells us:

what housing the applicant requires to meet their needs
if the applicant is vulnerable due to homelessness or the threat of homelessness
what housing support is needed to help keep a tenancy
what group the applicant should be placed on.

Can the Council refuse to take an application for housing?

No, but if the Housing Options Team finds the applicant has:

A record of anti-social behaviour
Given false or misleading information or withholds information
Been physically or verbally abusive to Council staff
Seriously breached their tenancy conditions
Deliberately made their housing situation worse to gain extra priority

their application will be suspended from the housing list. This means they will not be offered housing for 6 months.

What if the applicant has housing related debt?

If the applicant has a housing related debt, such as rent arrears with a housing association, a local authority or a private landlord, which is more than 1 months rental charge their application will be deferred. This means they will not be eligible to be offered housing for 6 months.

If the applicant has a homeless priority their application will be made live. However they will be strongly encouraged and advised to set a repayment plan to address their outstanding arrears.

How can an application be made live on the housing list if it's deferred for housing related debt?

In order for the application to be made live on the housing list, the applicant must:

set up an arrangement plan and make continuous payments for more than a 3 month period, or
clear the outstanding debt

The applicant is responsible for notifying and updating the Housing Options Team when a repayment plan has been set up or when they have cleared their housing related debt for their application to be made live again.

What if the applicant is not actively seeking housing anymore?

If they are not actively seeking housing at the present time but wish to be considered for housing in the future, their application can be deferred. This means they will not be eligible to be offered housing for 6 months.

What happens after an application for housing has been processed and verified?

Once an application has been verified and information received from third parties, the application is then pointed according to the information provided and then placed on the appropriate Group according to the applicant's circumstances.

Groups

What are the Groups?

There are 4 Groups:

A - Varying Needs
B - Short Tenancies and Lodgers
C - Inadequate Accommodation
D - Choice

Group A, A (i) and A (ii)

Who is placed in Group A?

This Group is for applicants with particular housing needs such as:

Homelessness
Medical
Social Care
Support

Applicants on this Group will undergo a full needs assessment by an Angus Council Housing Officer (Housing Options). Following this assessment, the Housing Officer (Housing Options)will score the applicant's assessment using the Housing Need Matrix which is a scoring tool used by the Housing Officer (Housing Options)to determine an applicant's level of vulnerability and priority for housing. The score obtained from this matrix is then used to determine the applicant's position on this Group.

The Housing Need Matrix is based on the following criteria:

Security of tenure
Welfare of children and young people
Vulnerability
Suitability of applicants present accommodation
Adaptability of applicants present accommodation
Suitability of applicant's current accommodation for support and / or care needs
The surrounding environment
Risk.

For example, the housing need matrix will give a higher score to an applicant considered to be extremely vulnerable due to health or social reasons, at risk of losing their home or who doesn't have a home and has dependant children, compared to an applicant not assessed as vulnerable, not considered to be at risk but is homeless.

To ensure those who are homeless or threatened with homelessness have their housing needs addressed urgently, Group A comprises of 2 subgroups, Subgroup A (i) and Subgroup A (ii).

What is Subgroup A (i)?

This subgroup is for applicants found to be:

Unintentionally homeless or threatened with homeless and vulnerable

How many offers of housing do applicants in Subgroup A (i) receive?

Applicants in this subgroup will receive one reasonable offer of housing.

Will applicants on Subgroup A (i) receive offers of housing in their preferred areas?

Angus Council has a statutory duty to find permanent accommodation for applicants that are unintentionally homeless or threatened with homeless and because of the urgency of their housing need, accommodation to meet their assessed need may be offered outwith their preferred area.

What if the applicant refuses their one reasonable offer?

If the applicant refuses this offer, the applicant will lose their homelessness priority and will be removed from Subgroup A (i). This means that Angus Council has met it duty to this applicant under homeless legislation.

If the applicant is in temporary accommodation and refuses their one reasonable offer, the applicant will be given 28 days to leave this accommodation.

Which Group will the applicant be moved to?

The applicant will be moved to Subgroup A (ii), Group B, C or D depending on their other housing circumstances as identified in their assessment and application form.

However, as the applicant is no longer considered to be in urgent need for housing, a further offer of housing may not be made for some considerable time.

What about those applicants that are not homeless but have other housing needs such as medical or support needs?

They will be placed on Subgroup A (ii).

This Subgroup is for applicants that have housing related needs that cannot be met in their existing accommodation such as:

Medical
Social care
Housing support

Applicants on this Subgroup may also require specialist accommodation such as supported accommodation, sheltered housing, very sheltered housing or adapted housing.

How many offers of housing will applicants on Subgroup A (ii) receive?

Applicants on this Subgroup will receive two offers of housing according to their assessed need and the information contained within their application form.

What if the applicant refuses offers of housing when on Subgroup A (ii)?

If the applicant refuses two offers of housing whilst on this Subgroup, their application for housing will be suspended for six months.

What happens after the six months suspension?

After the six months, the application will be reinstated back onto Subgroup A (ii) where the applicant will be eligible to receive offers of housing. The applicant will also retain the same points as previously determined by the Housing Need Matrix.

What if there has been a change in an applicant's circumstances after the six months?

If their needs have changed, they should notify the Housing Options Team by completing the form below or by contacting any ACCESS Office or Hillcrest Housing Association Office in the Angus area change in circumstances.

On receiving this information, the Housing Options Team will either update their application or refer the applicant to the Housing Officers (Housing Options) for a reassessment.

Group B

What about Group B?

This Group is for applicants who have a housing need such as those:

Found to be intentionally homeless
With a short assured tenancy usually applicants living in private rented accommodation
Staying with friends, relatives and / or friends
Living in tied accommodation like janitors, wardens or agricultural workers
Currently in HM Forces and have previously worked or lived in Angus
Living in hostel accommodation
Applicants that have refused one reasonable offer of housing from Subgroup A (i) and have no secure housing

How is an applicant's position on Group B decided?

An applicant's position is decided by the points they are awarded and the date of their application.

Applicants will receive additional points if they:

Share facilities such as a toilet, bathroom, kitchen, living room or dining room
Have no access to the facilities outlined above

How many offers of housing will applicants on Group B receive?

Applicants on Group B will receive two offers of housing according to their assessed need and the information contained in their application form.

What happens if the applicant on Group B refuses two offers of housing?

Following the second refusal, their application is suspended for six months.

What happens after the six months?

After the six months, the application will be reinstated back onto Group B where the applicant will be eligible to receive two offers of housing.

Group C

What about Group C?

This Group is for applicants who have a housing need including those:

Residing in caravans
In accommodation that is below tolerable standards, and this has been confirmed by the Council's Environmental Health Service
In overcrowded accommodation as defined by our policy
Currently under-occupying their accommodation

How is an applicant's position on Group C decided?

An applicant's position is decided by the points they are awarded and the date of their application.

Applicants will receive additional points if they do not have:

A sink that supplies hot and cold water
A WC for the exclusive use of occupants and / or suitably located within the house
Effective system for drainage and disposal of foul water
Satisfactory facilities for cooking food within the house
A fixed bath or shower available for the exclusive use of occupants located within the house with an adequate supply of hot and cold water

Or have

rising or penetrating damp
been issued with a demolition or a Closing Order

What happens if the applicant on Group C refuses two offers of housing?

The same action regarding the refusal of two offers and suspension applies to applicants on Group C as it does to applicants on Group B.

Group D

What about Group D?

This Group is for applicants who have no housing need or those that:

Have normal residency outwith Angus and do not meet the required criteria for housing and other relevant needs assessment as outlined in Group A.

How is an applicant's position on Group D decided?

An applicant's position is decided by the points they are awarded and the date of their application.

Applicants will receive additional points if they are:

A transfer applicant (an applicant that currently resides in either an Angus Council or Hillcrest Housing Association tenancy in Angus) with no housing need.

What happens if the applicant on Group D refuses two offers of housing?

The same action regarding the refusal of two offers and suspension applies to applicants on Group D as it does to applicants on Group B and Group C.

Will applicants in Subgroup A (ii), Group B, C and D receive offers of housing in their preferred areas?

As the degree of urgency to secure suitable accommodation for applicants on these Groups is considered less urgent than compared to applicants on Subgroup A (i), applicants can select the areas they wished to be considered for housing. However, this may affect how quickly an offer of housing is made.

Does the Group the applicant is placed on determine how quickly an offer of housing will be made?

Yes. Applicants on Subgroup A (i) are considered to be in greater housing need than those in Subgroup A (ii), Group B, C and D.

Each Community Housing Team will agree quotas according to the level of demand in their area. This quota will be determined by a Community Based Lettings Plan. These plans will ensure reasonable priority is given to those applicants in greatest need. Community Based Lettings Plans will be implemented in late summer 2010.

Further Information

Can applicants select the size and type of house they would like?

An applicant, except for those on Subgroup A (i), can state their preference for any type of house, i.e. flat, cottage, maisonette etc, but if this request cannot be met due to availability or demand the applicant will be considered for any type of property, provided it meets their assessed need.

An applicant, except for those on Subgroup A (i), can apply for any size of house, regardless of their household size. However, an applicant will not be offered accommodation that will create an overcrowded situation.

The size of accommodation an applicant is allocated according to the size of their household:

Household Composition	Bedroom Requirement
Single Person	One bedroom
Couple	One bedroom
Each additional adult where they are not siblings	One bedroom
One or two children under 7 years, either sex	One bedroom
Two children over 7 years, same sex	One bedroom
Two children, different sex where the eldest is 7 years or over	Two bedrooms

What if the applicant has residential access to their children, will they qualify for additional bedroom space?

If an applicant has residential access and where there is overnight access evidence of this shared care must be confirmed by:

Both parties confirming in writing the custody arrangements, or
A joint legal Minute of Agreement
A joint Residency Order
A solicitor's letter
An independent party such as a letter from the child's school or from Social Work & Health.

On receiving confirmation of the shared care, the child or children will be assessed as a permanent member of the applicant's household and will be given priority for additional bedroom space.

Discretionary Allocation

The Head of Housing can exercise discretion in the allocation of accommodation. However, discretionary allocation is only used in very exceptional circumstances and where there is substantial evidence from either Social Work & Health or the Police.

Further information on discretionary allocations can be found in the Discretion in the Allocation of Council Houses Policy and Procedure.

What if the applicant is not happy with any aspect of their decision?

Applicants who are not satisfied with any aspect of their decision such as the Group they have been placed on or award of points, can appeal.

This should be made in writing within 21 days of notification of the decision, making it clear why they disagree with the decision. This should be sent to the Housing Division headquarters.

Complaints

If an applicant is dissatisfied with any aspect of the service, they can submit a complaint in writing in accordance with our customer complaint procedure.

For further information please consult the Housefacts leaflet TA1 - "A Guide to the Allocation of Council Housing in Angus" (400 KB PDF). This leaflet is available from any ACCESS Office.

Are there any other ways of getting a house or moving house?

Mutual Exchanges
Existing tenants can apply to exchange their homes and tenancies with another Angus Council tenants, another local authority tenant or a housing association tenant. If both tenants rent their homes from Angus Council, they should complete the Housing Application form (download below). If one is a Housing Association/Registered Social Landlord tenant, they should contact their respective landlord for advice.

Information about private rented housing is available on the Scottish Government's Better Renting Scotland website.

Who do I contact for further information?

Local ACCESS Office.

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Service Page: housingallocation.htm
Service Details Last Reviewed : 29 January 2013

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A-Z of Services

Online Options for this Service

Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

Groups

Group A, A (i) and A (ii)

Group B

Group C

Group D

Further Information

Housefacts Leaflets

Angus Council/Hillcrest Housing Association House Allocation in Angus

Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

Groups

Group A, A (i) and A (ii)

Group B

Group C

Group D

Further Information