NEW CAMDEN COUNCIL HOME ALLOCATIONS SCHEME GOES LIVE

12 December 2005

The new simplified system that Camden Council uses to decide people’s priority for housing in the borough goes live this month. It should make it easier for everyone to understand and the council to administer.

From 1 December 2005 new applicants have been assessed under the new points system. Anyone currently on the list will have the number of points they have recalculated shortly, with no one receiving fewer points than they already have. People then use those points are to bid for homes under the council’s Home Connections choice based lettings scheme. Everyone will be able to use their new points to bid for homes through the Home Connections scheme in the New Year.

The new scheme aims to give priority to the people who are most in need of homes, such as homeless people or those living in overcrowded or unsuitable housing, and to bring it in line with current Government legislation and Camden Council’s Housing Strategy. It also aims to support the council’s policy of building stronger communities which hopes to create opportunities to improve the quality of life for local people.

The new scheme divides applicants into seven groups and also awards additional points if they have lived in Camden for over two years and for the amount of time they have been waiting for a home. The council can also award points in exceptional circumstances where people’s housing situation is causing hardship, but is not covered by the scheme.

Cllr Julian Fulbrook, Camden Council’s Executive Member for Housing, said: “The new allocations scheme will make it easier for people to understand how their points are worked out. There is an enormous demand for council and housing association homes and this new system aims to be a fair as possible.”

A summary of the seven points groups follows:

• Group A - people who are homeless* or threatened with homelessness
• Group B - people who have made a homelessness application and found to be in priority need - such as families with children and vulnerable people
• Group C - people who are living in unsanitary, overcrowded or unsatisfactory housing conditions
• Group D - people who need to move for medical reasons or due to disability
• Group E - people suffering harassment or violence
• Group F - people who have support needs. This includes care leavers, vulnerable people and ex-offenders who have been assessed as being able to sustain a tenancy
• Group G - people who need to move to a particular area of Camden and not doing so would cause them or other people hardship. For example people who provide a substantial level of care or are cared for by someone living in that area.

Further information can be found on the council’s website at www.camden.gov.uk/housing or by writing to Assessment Service Manager, London Borough of Camden, Housing Needs Service, Bidborough House, 20 Mabledon Place, London WC1H 9BF.

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