Who can apply for housing in Newham?
You must meet one of these criteria:
You've lived in the area for the last 2 years
You have close family who have lived in the area for at least 5 years
You are employed in the area
Housing allocations
From 2003 local authorities operated “choice-based lettings” schemes. These varied from one authority to another but are broadly similar. Under these systems, anyone could apply for accommodation. Their needs would be assessed to determine how great their need for accommodation is what kind of accommodation is required. The only real restriction to applying for accommodation was based on immigration restrictions.
In Newham, applicants then “bid” for accommodation of their choice. The applicants with the highest level of priority who have been registered on the scheme for the longest would be shortlisted to view the property. The applicant with the highest priority would be given the first refusal before it was offered to the second, then third and so on.
The system was designed to offer greater choice to applicants and replaced the old housing registers where applicants were placed on a waiting list and offered accommodation when they reached the top of the list. However, many people still call allocation schemes ‘waiting list’.
Since the Localism Act 2011 came into force, local authorities – including Newham – have been able to draft allocation polices whereby they can exclude whole classes of applicants, for example, all applicants in rent arrears regardless of the particular circumstances of the individual. Newham, for example, now gives a preference to all those in employment, or those who have been in the armed forces.
Who gets priority for housing?
Councils must give some priority for housing to people who:
live in unsanitary or overcrowded housing
need to move for medical or welfare reasons
need to be near specialist medical or educational facilities