Moray Council to review housing allocation policy

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Moray Council is proposing changes to make their Housing Allocations Policy fairer and clearer.

The Moray Council Allocations Policy provides a framework to support the allocation of council housing. It takes into consideration the needs, demands and where possible, the aspirations of applicants.  The policy is needed to make sure there is clear and transparent guidance on how the Council match people who apply for housing with the properties that become available.

Some of the proposed changes are driven by legislation, while others are intended to meet the needs identified in the Council’s recent housing need survey.

Key changes proposed include:

  • increasing the level of priority given to applicants who under occupy their homes;
  • taking property ownership into account when considering an application for housing;
  • giving short Scottish secure tenancies to homeowners in specific circumstances;
  • suspending applicants from offers of housing in certain circumstances;
  • giving priority to households who live in specialist housing that they no longer need;
  • giving increased priority to households, including armed forces, living in tied accommodation who will lose their home when their employment ends;
  • giving increased priority to households leaving institutional or supported care, including care experienced young people;
  • changing the rules on the size of property offered to couples;
  • placing applicants aged 70 years and over on the list for ground floor properties.

The consultation will end on Sunday 21 October 2018.  Feedback will help to prepare a revised draft allocations policy which will be presented to the Council’s Communities Committee in November 2018.  Elected Members will make a final decision on the changes proposed.  People will be given the opportunity to comment on the revised draft Allocations Policy.  Following Committee approval, the revised allocations policy will be implemented on 1 May 2019

A full version of the Council’s current allocations policy is available on here.  You can access their guidance leaflet “Housing allocations policy and points system” here.

If you have any questions or would like more information about our proposals, you can get in touch with the housing team at housingpolicy@moray.gov.uk.

The online survey is available on Moray Council’s website at www.moray.gov.uk.