Local People First In Line for Council Homes

New measures will ensure local people are prioritised for homes and introduce greater transparency on who is getting a council house, Eric Pickles has announced. New proposed statutory guidance for councils makes clear that only people with a well-established local residency or connection to an area can go on that council’s waiting list for social housing. It will help avoid confusion in local government about equality laws that could lead to some councils sidelining local residents. Along with giving priority to local people, the guidance makes clear that councils are required to make an exception to members of the Armed Forces who apply for housing. Due to the nature of their work, travelling from base to base, they do not build up a local connection. Read more on the Govuk website.

People Who Help Others Move Up The Waiting List

People who help their community are to have a better chance of getting a council house in Derby.  The change will apply to the lettings policy for 13,500 houses belonging to Derby Homes, the city council's social housing arm, from March. Whether or not someone helps their community would be considered once a person has been accepted onto the housing and details such as disability and risk of homelessness have been looked at.  The move will be introduced at the same time as plans to make it easier for former services personnel to get social housing in the city. A council report on the matter says "additional priority" will be given to people who contribute to their community through things like "employment, volunteering or providing unpaid care and support to a person in their area".  Read more on the Derby Evening Telegraph website.