Council housing priority

[Starlight987]

Hi, my first time on here so not sure if anyone can help. We’re a family of 3, my husband and I and my 2 year old son. We’ve been living at my parents 2 bedroom flat for 3 years now.
I have bidded for a house which i am so desperate for, im in 8th position which i know means 7 are before me but i was wondering how it works. Do they just put you in that position due to your band then you will be 8th to be offered the property or do they look into it a bit further when bidding closes and maybe filter it further? I’ve been offered a flat on the 4th flat which I’m really grateful for, but because of my asthma it’s very difficult as there is no lift. Sorry i know 8 is a low chance i just really love the property and i am so desperate right now, I don’t know if I should risk it and decline the property or just take it? Thanks for any help

Stop bidding on unsuitable accommodation.

AmelieTaylor - it’s not really far off being a council tenant although the tenancy May be a degree less secure.

Because it’s market rent (low) HB should cover the rent and the HA have good connections with the council so it’s usually pretty painless sorting everything out. They can get arsey about arrears - but nowhere near the scale of private and will work with you to find a solution. Eg when I first moved here (new authority) it took a few weeks to sort out HB but HA were happy for me to pay £10/week as a token gesture so I wasn’t “paying nothing”.

I’m in HA and to me it’s just like being a council tenant and there’s no way I’d go back to private.

@plantlife No, a sec 106 wouldn't be disregarded for DV.

I'm currently waiting on a bid result, position 3 although I know this can change. Only got banded last week and saw this one which would be perfect so I'm desperately hoping. I don't know much about the allocation process, had to go on housing list as we (me and three DC) have left due to DV and currently staying at my mums. The council HO sounded quite positive about my chances for this house, however I don't know how much, if any, influence he would have on the allocation procedures. It's nail biting tbh. I really hope you get the answer you want soon, this limbo stage is horrible.

@InsaneInTheViralMembrane

Thank you. Can you do a 'swap' on HB?

Their HB nowhere near covered their rent & now with the SE payment they've lost almost all of the HB. (Don't understand that, at all).

They're so worried because he's got NO idea when his SE income will go up again & he's not getting anywhere getting a job.

HA just say they accept credit card 🤦🏻‍♀️

Wouldn't 7th or 15th floor flats have a lift?

I was in band D and bidder on a house, I got bumped right up on the application from number 8 to 1 due to a local connection to the area

Different areas have different rules on local connections. My LA will not accept you onto the housing list without a local connection and all the LA's in this county have the same policy.

amelie I’m no expert at all - but have moved authorities without a “local connection”. Each and every time though it’s been quite clear any transfer will be blocked if you have arrears.

Has he put in for UC yet? Also, my HA has a team who help people sort out their benefits. So from their POV, it’s probably better he engages with them than says “I can’t afford it”.

@Starlight987 a 106 local connection means houses built in areas have a planning restriction which means they are only let you people who have lived or worked in the area parish or sometimes neighbouring parishes for a period of time- normally 3 years. Or have a close family member mother father sister brother live in area for 5 years. These tend to be newer houses that have been built recently.

You then have what we call nomination or non nomination properties. Nomination properties you have to have lived in Cornwall or has close connection for 3 years. Most houses go up as nomination properties.

Others go as non nomination - people who haven’t lived in area or had local connection for 3 years can bid on them. ( nomination applicants can too)

Ps 106 is totally separate arrangement to the nomination and non nomination

Hi all,
I am new here, I am wondering when I will get 2 bedroom house/flat. I have proority B and I was bidding since 2016 continuously I have two kids of 5 and 2. Sometimes it is very difficulty to understand the way they allocate people for house.
For example my friend she got twins last year and the total applicants for housing were 3, the same as me. She applied council house last year and three months later they offered her house and she moved in.
Me and her have similarty: we both lived in council house before having kids and now since we both have kids we both offered to apply for bigger house. My current house is 1bedroom flat ground floor but hers was multiistore flat 6th floor. She told them she is over crowded and lift sometimes don't work then they gave her priorty A! She moved in strait away. When I asked them if I can have higher priority but they said Priority A is only for homeless. Well I don't understand that homeless word, my friend was not homeless and I was not homeless before I moved in to my 1 bedroom flat....
Could somebody give me any suggestion or clarification for my situation? Or what I should do please? BTW I never get any offer yet since my first day of bidding and I never reached to top 20 when I bid. If I am going to be in 10 then the flat requires local connections. The area where I am now I don't have any family member to get local connection and I work in another city near by and my kids go to school here close-by. I don't have any local connections in the city except to my local area (as I lived for many years). Any help would be very helpful. Thank you in advance.

If I came second when bidding on a property with the council will I come close again on another bid ?
thanks

Hi I was wondering if you would be able to help me.
I have been homeless in suffolk escaping domestic violence in north london. I have two young children and have approached east suffolk and they have placed me in emergency nightly let accommodation. I have been in there for ten weeks I have stayed out twice due to unforeseen circumstances. Today my car broke down and I rang my housing officer to let them know I couldn’t stay at the hotel and I was told I’m staying out too much. I’m not coping mentally with staying in the hotel it’s a single room with a double bunk bed in for me n my two children. I am experiencing anxiety attack ptsd and severe depression. Once you have been in emergency accommodation for 56 days there meant to put my banding up to a B. They haven’t done this my housing officer said she was still investigating and has gone as far as contacting the police officer in charge to see weather I’m telling the truth. I feel like I’m the one being punished and with them no closer to making a decision I don’t know what to do. I can’t afford to private rent and I can’t return back to london as I am scared for mine and my children’s lives. I wondered weather there was anything you could do as I have had the police officer in charge, support worker, my sons counseller, health visitor, my IDVA and various other people help me try and get something sorted with the council and they just don’t seem to be prioritising my case and I’m going to have a mental breakdown if this Carry’s on!
has anyone got any advice as to how I’m suppose to get out this interim accommodation I’m just not coping

Hi
I bid on a house and at the time of bid I was 7th. I went back to check and now I'm 10th after the bid ,how can that happen ? I'm so confused and frankly gutted .

@Mbeck1711 prob best to start your own thread in future. However it is likely that your council operates a choice based lettings system where you bid.

All applicants bid and as they do it moves everyone’s position in the process depending on what banding and application date they are.

This happens whilst the bidding window is open. The first person is 1st but as more applicants bid it moves according to what housing needs has been deemed. When the application window closes a shortlist is then created in order of priority.

Hi,
We are on the social housing register from 2021. Last year we were given overcrowding plus medical priority after assessment. My both kids have ASD. We have bid on 2nd position & they said they’re about to offer us. They took all the documents but no refusing to offer the property. They’re saying we have been put in a wrong band but we can review. Without given any email or letter they have taken our priority. We’re really saddened and don’t know what to do. Any advice will be appreciated. Thank you.

They have to give you the right to review information and state these rights in the legal.

If a council error has caused you to miss out on an offer of accommodation I’d raise a formal complaint and go to the local government ombudsman once you’ve exhausted the council complaint process.