Witney News - Have a say on the way housing is allocated

Have a say on the way housing is allocated

West Oxfordshire District Council is inviting residents to have a say on how social housing is allocated to people.

The Council has not held any housing stock since 2001, but is responsible for keeping the District’s Common Waiting List for housing.

Anyone who wishes to be considered for social housing – whether rented or part-ownership – must be on the Waiting List. Each applicant is awarded points and those with the most points, who are deemed to have greatest need, become eligible to be housed. The Council then nominates those people to housing associations for accommodation.

The Council has a Nominations Policy which sets out how points should be awarded. This includes guidance set by law which requires the Council to give priority to those in most need, such as anyone who is homeless or living in overcrowded conditions. In addition, it contains priorities which the Council has set for West Oxfordshire, including preference for people with a local connection to the district and key workers.

The Council is currently reviewing the Nominations Policy and would like to hear from residents about what they think of the current policy and changes they feel should be made.

Residents are asked to complete a short survey online at www.westoxon.gov.uk/allocations. The Nominations Policy can be viewed online via this link.

Cllr Jill Dunsmore, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “We are contacting people on the Waiting List to ask them for their views and would like to encourage as many others as possible to have a say. This will help with the review and could lead to important changes in the way social housing is allocated in the future.”

Questions being asked include whether the current points system is a fair way to prioritise housing applications and whether more weight should be given to time spent on the Waiting List. At present, priority is not given according to the amount of time an applicant has been on the List.

Anyone unable to complete the online survey, or who wishes to make further suggestions, can email [email protected] or write to Housing Services, West Oxfordshire District Council, Elmfield, New Yatt Road, Witney, Oxon, OX28 1PB.