New Housing Policy Consultation
Council tenants and people on the waiting list for council housing will have the opportunity to take part in a consultation on Chesterfield Borough Council’s housing allocations policy.
The aim of the new policy is to change the way in which the council allocates council homes to make the system fairer for tenants and potential tenants. All current tenants and people currently on the housing register will receive a questionnaire through the post.
The proposed changes include:
- Changing the current requirement for a potential tenant to have been resident in the borough for 12 months. The current policy has resulted in an increase in the number of unoccupied one-bedroom flats
- Introducing a risk assessment before letting a property to check if the potential tenant can afford the rent
- Limiting the ability for existing tenants to re-register unless there are to changes in their personal circumstances
- Replacing the current points based system with a simplified banding system to allocate homes
- Allowing pregnant applicants to request a separate bedroom for an as-yet unborn child
- Taking into account property or assets owned by applicants
- Bringing the policy into line with the council’s current policy on housing adaptations.
The council will hold four drop-in sessions to offer more information and for people to ask questions:
- Monday 13 August, 10am to noon at the Healthy Living Centre, Barlow Road, Staveley
- Wednesday 22 August, noon to 3pm at Stand Road Park
- Wednesday 29 August, 1.30pm to 3.30pm at the Hunloke Centre, Church Street South, Birdholme
- Thursday 6 September, 4pm to 6pm at Parkside, Stand Road, Newbold.
For more information or to complete the survey online, visit www.chesterfield.gov.uk/allocations.
