Getting a council house in Swindon could be about to get harder
There are currently more than 6,700 households on the Borough Council's waiting list.
Swindon Borough Council may toughen up the requirement to have a link to Swindon in order to get on the council housing list.
There are currently more than over 6,700 households on the council’s housing list, compared with 3,168 in 2019.
Last year 556 council properties were let to new tenants from the list.
With demand far outweighing supply, the council’s housing team have come up with a revised scheme on how houses are allocated, and what will qualify people to be able to join the list.
The new plan will be presented to the council’s Conservative cabinet later today (Wednesday October 12).
It says: “You cannot be on the housing register unless you have a ‘connection’ to Swindon.”
The existing conditions for a valid connection are having lived in the borough for two years continuously, working in the borough or having a close relative who has lived here for more than two years.
In the new proposed scheme prospective tenants will have had to have lived in Swindon for three years continuously or three out of five consecutive years, or have worked, for more than 16 hours a week in Swindon, for more than a year.
At the moment there are two bands for assessing need for housing, with the highest priority band just for “urgent priority cases”.
The housing proposals says: “We want to introduce 4 bands; Band E, Band A, Band B and Band O. Band E will provide a clearer process for those deemed as in emergency need and ensure that those who need an immediate move are identified in separate priority group.
“Band O is a band for those not meeting reasonable preference groups and who otherwise would not be permitted on to the housing register and considered not in housing need, however, are able to be considered for specific types of accommodation such as sheltered flats and keyworker accommodation
For the highest priority groups and homeless people the report to cabinet members says: “We currently advertise properties through our Allocations scheme in which homeseekers are able to bid for properties that meet their needs.
“We want to ensure applicants in the highest priority needs groups are re-housed as soon as possible through active support from the council. These high-priority need groups (Band E, Band A and those in homeless temporary accommodation in Band B) will be reviewed and direct offers will be made in order to ensure sufficient temporary accommodation is available for new household presenting as homeless.”
The report will be discussed by the cabinet at its meeting starting at 6pm on today (12/10)