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Social housing

Assessing Applications for Social Housing

The Home Argyll common allocations policy has been developed to give priority to those in the greatest housing need and all applications will be assessed and given priority in accordance with this policy.

Reasonable Preference

Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, we must give reasonable preference to applicants who are:

  • homeless or threatened with homelessness
  • living in housing below the tolerable standard
  • living in overcrowded houses or in large families
  • living in unsatisfactory housing conditions.

Factors That Are Not Taken Into Account

We will not take any account of the following when allocating houses:

  • length of time applicants have resided in our area of operation (unless applying under the terms of the current homelessness legislation)
  • any non-housing debts, such as Council Tax
  • tenancy related debts, such as rent or service arrears, rechargeable repairs, which are less than 1/12th of annual amount payable, or which are no longer outstanding, or where a repayment plan has been arranged and maintained by the applicant for at least three months
  • household debts for which the applicant/s are not liable
  • the income of the applicant and their family (including welfare benefits). The only exception to this is where we receive an application for a LIFT (Low Cost Initiative for First Time Buyers)property
  • the value of any property or properties owned by the applicant or applicant’s family. Again, the exception being an application for a LIFT (Low Cost Initiative for First Time Buyers)property
  • the age of the applicant, except in the allocation of houses which have been designed or substantially adapted for occupation by persons of a particular age group, such as sheltered housing.

Home Argyll partners award points for the following circumstances:

  • Unstable and insecure housing circumstances
  • Agreements with other agencies or services
  • Domestic abuse or harassment
  • Housing related health problems
  • Home is too big or too small for your needs
  • Home is not suitable
  • Social reasons
  • Management reasons

In order to further its aim of supporting sustainable and balanced communities HOME Argyll divides applicants into three groups and allocates properties to these groups. We will aim to allocate properties to the following categories at the percentage rate shown:

· Statutory homeless applicants - 50%

· Direct Waiting List Applicants - 25%

· Transfer Applicants - 25%

RSL’s will aim to make a reasonable offer of permanent housing to a homeless applicant within 26 weeks of them being assessed as Statutory homeless.

 

Cost of renting from a housing association

If you are applying for a house and would like a clearer idea of what the rent might be, please contact any of the associations for more assistance. The HOMEArgyll Housing Associations are :-

Other housing associations operate across Scotland, and have some properties in Argyll and Bute. These organisations all specialise in providing supported housing – for example for older people, specially adapted housing for people with disabilities, or supported housing for people with learning difficulties.

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