The Hillingdon community is being called upon to share their opinions on the methods used to allocate council and housing association homes. A 10-week consultation period has recently commenced to gather public input on this important matter.
In accordance with regulations, councils must establish a fair and transparent system for assessing housing need, promoting social housing, and assigning properties. Currently, Hillingdon employs a system with four categories, A to D, to assess housing needs. While Band A includes three additional categories for urgent cases, it has become increasingly challenging to effectively prioritise housing need, particularly with two-thirds of residents on the waiting list falling into Bands A and B.
Proposed changes aim to streamline the allocation process and make it easier to determine who should be rehoused first. Some key changes being considered include expanding the number of priority bands to provide clarity in the rehousing order, reducing the number of additional priority categories, giving higher priority to vulnerable residents, and allowing more overcrowded households to bid for properties below their assessed need.
Councillor Eddie Lavery, Cabinet Member for Residents’ Services, emphasised the importance of addressing the housing shortage issue by carefully reviewing the allocation process. He noted, “We do not have enough homes for everyone on our housing register, and action must be taken to carefully examine how they are allocated.”
The consultation period is scheduled to run until Sunday, October 13th. Residents are encouraged to participate and share their feedback on the proposed changes by visiting www.hillingdon.gov.uk/social-housing-consultation. Your input can help shape the future of housing allocation in Hillingdon for the benefit of the entire community.
