Buckinghamshire Council Housing Allocations Scheme

Properties will be advertised weekly in a variety of formats and locations.

• On the Bucks Home Choice website
• In the offices of the Council
• Personalised property lists may be posted to applicants who are housebound or cannot use any of the other methods

The Council may choose to vary the timing of the cycle for advertising properties.

Each property advert will have information on the location, size and type of Property and any criteria that applicants must satisfy in order to be eligible for shortlisting.

Some properties may have letting restrictions for example no pets or age restrictions.

Priority for family sized accommodation of two bedrooms or more with access to a garden will be given to households with children under the age of 16 unless medical evidence of the need for a property with a garden exists.

Properties that have two reception rooms may be considered as having an additional bedroom to assist where necessary with housing larger families where larger accommodation is not available.

Any restrictions will be explained in the advert and applicants who do not meet the criteria will not be nominated for the property.

An applicant will only be able to bid for a property that is:

• Advertised in a legacy district area where the applicant has a local connection with the district area concerned or,
• Advertised as being available to all Bucks Home Choice applicants who require the size and type of property concerned (regardless of which legacy district(s) area the applicant has a local connection with).

One of the aims of Bucks Home Choice is to enable some applicants to move between legacy district areas. In order to achieve this, properties that do not have a high local demand will be advertised as being available for any applicants who are registered with Bucks Home Choice, regardless of the legacy district area(s) with which they have a local connection.

The Council will monitor how many properties are advertised, and how many are let in this way. It will also monitor how many properties are let to applicants who do not have a local connection. This monitoring will enable the Council to assess whether applicants are finding some flexibility in where they can choose to live, whilst ensuring that the Council continues to be able to meet it Statutory Duties.

Where a property has been advertised for three advertising cycles and the property has received no appropriate bids the Council reserves the right to consider allocation of the property to people outside of the Bucks Home Choice scheme.

In order to make the best use of the available housing stock, it is essential to let properties to those who need that size and type of property to:

• Avoid creating overcrowding or under-occupation when letting a property
• House families with children under the age of 16 into properties with gardens.
• Minimise the risk of the applicant being unable to afford rent payments on the property that is being let
• Prioritise large families with four or more children for properties with two reception rooms

When deciding the size and type of property that an applicant is entitled to bid for, the Bedroom Standard will normally be used as 1 bedroom for each of the following:

a) Adult or adult couple

b) Two children of the same sex aged under 18

c) Two children of different sexes when the eldest is aged under 10

d) Any other child

More information is available in Appendix 2.

In exceptional circumstances the Senior Housing Officer may exercise discretion in deviating from the Bedroom Standard. In all cases applicants will need to demonstrate the property is affordable at the time of offer. Examples are:

• Where applicants require larger accommodation on health grounds, the Senior Housing Officer will consider this on a case by case basis, taking into account the advice of a qualified medical advisor appointed by the Council.
• Where there is little or no demand for a particular property.
• Where the applicant has been approved as a foster carer by Buckinghamshire Council and so will need a larger property than normally required by the household.
• Where the applicant or a member of the household needs the support of a carer who will need to sleep in the home and cannot reasonably be expected to share a bedroom with another member of the household. (See section 3.3.1)

Applicants may bid on up to three properties for which they are entitled in any one advertising cycle, this can be done;

• On the Bucks Home Choice website
• In person at one of the Council’s Customer Access Points
• Telephone bidding by contacting relevant partner

Applicants who find it difficult to bid may ask an advocate or support worker to do so on their behalf. Help will also be available via the Partners and special arrangements will be made for vulnerable applicants who are unable to bid without help.

It is not possible for an applicant to view a property before making a bid.