POLICY HD7
STATES OF JERSEY HOUSING DEPARTMENT
ASSESSMENT & ALLOCATIONS POLICY GUIDELINES
Corporation of t
Lettings Team Mission Statement:
“To allocate all property administered by the Housing Department on behalf of the general public, in order to respond in the fairest and most effective way to those in need of assistance”
This Assessment & Allocations Policy tries to match supply and demand in the fairest possible way. If you have any queries or concerns, please contact a member of the Lettings Team on 445510, or visit our Customer Service Centre on the ground floor of Cyril Le Marquand House, The Parade, St Helier JE4 8PF.
OUR PRINCIPLES
We operate according to the following principles:
Consistency
We will apply the Assessment & Allocations Policy in a consistent way, so that all applicants with a similar situation receive similar treatment.
Flexibility
We recognise that no two situations are exactly alike – so our Officers will use their discretion in exceptional individual circumstances.
Openness
We will be open and honest with you (while keeping your personal information confidential).
Responsiveness
We will answer your enquiry within seven days.
Local co-operation
We will work closely with other social rented housing providers.
Regular review
We will review our policy every year to make sure that it keeps up with changing circumstances.
Right of appeal
If you are unhappy with a decision, you can appeal – first to the Director of Sales and Lettings– then, if you are still not happy, to the Housing Assistant Minister and finally the Minister. This does not affect your ultimate right to seek an independent review of any decision.
ELIGIBILITY
People we will consider for the Waiting List (new applicants)
Unfortunately, we do not have the resources to help everyone and we have to make sure that the available homes go to the people in greatest need. We therefore normally only consider three categories of applicant for a new tenancy:
1. People with medical, physical or mental disabilities, who need special types of housing, but who cannot afford such accommodation in the private sector.
2. Families with young children, on relatively low incomes. (We consider situations involving separation or divorce on a case-by-case basis, but we cannot provide children with more than one home.)
3. People aged 50 or over, on relatively low incomes.
Applicants must be over the age of 18 and have gained local housing qualifications. We do not discriminate against unmarried or same-sex couples in a long-term relationship. We may, however, ask for documentary evidence that the relationship is genuine and long-term. In the case, for example, of a residentially qualified man with a non-residentially qualified partner with children, we would take into account a birth certificate showing that the man is father to at least one of the children.
Young mothers under the age of 18 who are unable to stay with their families are housed by the Children’s Service or by organisations such as the Causeway Association.
Due to the extreme shortage of large family accommodation, we are generally unable to assist in cases where two families are joining together requiring a property with four or more bedrooms.
We operate a “six month rule”: This means that you must be living in Jersey as your principal place of residence for six months before you can join the Waiting List. The reason for this is to prevent people from arriving in the Island, declaring themselves homeless, and expecting to be housed immediately – which would be unfair to families who have been waiting for a long time. However, our Officers can waiver this rule if it can be justified.
Maximum income levels
The purpose of States rental housing is to help people in need, who would have difficulty finding a home in the private sector. For this reason, we will not normally house people over a certain income level; this income is currently set at £40,000 per annum.
However, if you are a couple whose income exceeds the limits, we will take into account:
the possibility that your income may reduce soon, because the working hours of one partner will reduce with the birth of a new baby; and
whether you are committed to high childcare costs.
Couples awaiting their first child
Applications will not generally be activated until the seventh month of pregnancy. Normally we won’t offer you accommodation until your child is born and you have given us a copy of the birth certificate. However, if there are special reasons why you can’t stay in your present accommodation, or it is unsuitable for new-born babies, we will try to offer you a home beforehand (although we cannot guarantee that an offer of accommodation will be made before the birth of your baby). In all cases, we ask for medical confirmation of the expected date of delivery.
Property Ownership
Other than under exceptional circumstances, we will not consider an application from someone who owns property.
Homelessness
We have no emergency accommodation, but we do give priority to applicants who are homeless, or about to become homeless. This special priority does not apply, however, to people who intentionally make themselves homeless, hoping to ‘jump the queue’ – or to people who are being evicted in the private sector because of unacceptable behaviour or rent arrears.
People we will consider for the Transfer List (existing tenants requiring a move)
Current States tenants can join the list for a Transfer if –
you are living in a property which is too large for your needs; or
your medical condition means you need special accommodation, but your present home cannot be adapted; or
you have opposite-sex children (one of them at least 5 years old) who are having to share a bedroom; or
you are overcrowded in your present home; or
we need to move you, in order to carry out major work on your home. Consideration will be given if you wish to re-locate back after the work has been completed. * Please refer to Removal Allowance Policy HD24
We are unlikely to allow you to join the Transfer List or Home Exchange if –
your rent is in arrears; or
you have failed to look after your present home properly.
Home Exchange
In addition to the Transfer system, it is also possible for tenants to arrange a home exchange through our Lettings Team. Certain restrictions apply, namely: Neither party can be in arrears of rent; the property must be accepted as it is (i.e. no maintenance expenditure required by the Department); and the accommodation must be of a suitable size for each of your households.
Marriage Breakdown
A separate Policy, HD10, outlines marriage breakdown situations.
Death of Tenancy Holder
In cases where there is a death of a parent, consideration will be given to the remaining child/children to take over the tenancy, or offer alternative accommodation, providing they are over the age of 18. They will then generally be monitored by our Assisted Living Team.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE – NEW APPLICANTS TO THE WAITING LIST
We use a points system to show which applications are most urgent: The greater the need, the higher the number of points. Where necessary, we can give extra points for unusual circumstances (mainly related to the condition of your present home).
You will need to complete a Waiting List application form, to help us understand your housing needs and assess whether we can help you. Also, we will ask for some documentation to support your case, e.g. children’s birth certificates, and we will generally visit you at home to discuss your situation in more detail.
If you have medical problems which mean you need a particular type of property, we may ask for more information from doctors and specialists, or arrange for an assessment to be carried out by Health & Social Services staff. We may also, where relevant, seek advice from the Occupational Therapists, Children’s Service, Police, and Family Nursing Services.
We will ask you whether you are willing for us to put your name forward to a Housing Association or Trust
If you are eligible, you will be put in a Waiting List category or ‘group’, according to the number of points you have been allocated. If your circumstances change, you may be moved into a different group.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE – CURRENT TENANTS WISHING TO TRANSFER
We use a points system to show which applications are most urgent to be transferred: The greater the need, the higher the number of points.
You will need to complete a Transfer application form, to help us understand how your housing needs have changed and assess whether we can help you. We may also ask you for some documentation to support your case, such as from your GP if applying to move on medical grounds.
We will ask you whether you are willing for us to put your name forward to a Housing Association or Trust.
If you are eligible for the Transfer list, you will be put in a category or ‘group’, according to the number of points you have been allocated. If your circumstances change, you may be moved into a different group.
The groups for the waiting list and transfer list are as follows:
WAITING LIST | | TRANSFER LIST |
Group / Reason | Points | Group / Reason | Points |
GROUP 1 - Urgent (60-100 points) |
Homelessness | 100 | | Decant / refurbishment of estate/sale | 95 |
Eviction with court date set (other than those being evicted for rent arrears or anti-social behaviour who we will not usually consider) | 100 | Family in a 3-bed or 4-bed home seeking transfer to smaller unit | 80 |
Tied accommodation (with eviction date set) |
100 | Individual or couple in a 2-bed unit wanting to transfer to a 1-bed unit | 80 |
Individual or family with an immediate medical priority |
60 | Individual or family with an immediate medical priority | 60 |
Anti social behaviour / Arrears relocation | 60 |
GROUP 2 – High Priority (40-59 points) |
Family with opposite sex children (one over 5 years old) | 40 | | Family with opposite sex children (one over 5 years old) | 40 |
Family overcrowded in current accommodation | 50 | Family overcrowded in current accommodation | 50 |
Individual or family with a moderate medical priority | 45 | Individual or family with a moderate medical priority | 45 |
Financial (urgent) | 40 |
GROUP 3 – Moderate Priority (20-39 points) |
Eviction no date yet set (other than those being evicted for rent arrears or anti-social behaviour who we will not usually consider) | 30 | | Family overcrowded where same sex children are sharing (5 yr age gap) | 25 |
Family overcrowded where same sex children are sharing (5 yr age gap) | 25 |
Financial (moderate) | 30 |
GROUP 4 – Low Priority (less than 20 points) |
Tied accommodation (eviction not imminent) | 15 | | Moving from a bedsit to a one bed (no medical) | 15 |
Pre-allocation review
High points will give you a high priority, but it is not automatic that the applicant with the highest number of points will get the first offer of accommodation. This is because we have to match empty properties against applicants’ needs, so that homes are used in the most efficient way.
Our Allocation Officers, having taken all the factors into account, decide which applicant has the greatest need for a property which becomes vacant, bearing in mind the need to use the housing stock efficiently.
Before making you an offer, we will review your application, taking into account factors such as –
the condition and size of your present accommodation;
the length of time you have had to wait;
where other members of your family live;
whether you can drive;
the age and sex of children sharing a room;
location of schools;
the age of children, when considering allocating a property with a garden;
whether we have made you any previous offers;
whether there have been any concerns with your tenancy (rent arrears/anti social behaviour etc)
Pets
While we realise how important pets are, please bear in mind that it isn’t always possible to take them into consideration when making an offer of accommodation. We work closely with the JSPCA and they may arrange a visit to your new home to ensure it is suitable for your pet.
Waiting times
Once your application has been accepted, there will be a waiting period. The length of time you will wait to be housed is dependent upon the number of points allocated to your case, the type of property you require and how flexible you are about where you wish to be housed. For example, the waiting time can be significantly longer if you need a type of property which is in short supply, such as a ground-floor flat or property specially adapted for disability.
At times when we have to relocate tenants because we are refurbishing their homes the number of properties available to people on the Waiting Lists will greatly reduce and waiting times will be correspondingly longer.
Annual Review
Applications will be reviewed on an annual basis. An update form must be completed with any change of circumstances you may have and at this time your priority group could change. At this time, the points allocated to your application may be changed, depending on how your circumstances have changed. We will also consider increasing your priority if you are deemed to have been waiting too long for an offer of accommodation.
Offers of accommodation
As soon as we know one of our properties is about to become vacant, we aim to pre-allocate it. If you are pre-allocated a property, you will usually be offered the opportunity to view the property with us, before making a decision. During the visit, you will be able to discuss any refurbishment questions – but in any case, we will make sure that the property is clean and structurally sound before you move into it.
Tenants will be closely monitored in respect of payment of rent and any tenancy issues, initially for the first 12 months. After that time, we will periodically review your rent payment record, any complaints we have received and your financial situation, in order to assess whether you are still eligible for social rented housing.
When we make you an offer, we cannot guarantee that it will be your ideal property. However, you should bear in mind that, if you refuse our first offer, it may be some months before we are able to make you a second one.
If you are about to become homeless, it may only be possible for us to make one offer before your eviction deadline. In all other cases, you will normally get no more than two offers. If you refuse these offers without good reason, your name can be removed from the Waiting List.
VICTORIA COTTAGE HOMES AND GEORGE V COTTAGE HOMES
These Homes provide independent living for retired people; we are not able to provide primary care to residents. Our Assisted Living Team is responsible for the overall management of the Homes including the allocation of vacant units. There is an Assisted Living Officer based on each site who oversees the day-to-day operation of each estate in an administrative capacity.
The constitution states that applicants for the above homes must be over 60 years of age, no longer working, and have only limited income i.e. pension. There is also a restriction on the level of savings any applicant may have: A couple must have savings of less than £14,000 and single applicants must have savings of less than £10,000 (currently under review).
HOUSING TRUSTS
When you apply to us for a new tenancy or a transfer, we will ask you whether you are willing to be nominated for a Housing Trust property. We in turn can then nominate you for any vacancies they may have, although they are not obliged to accept you as a tenant. The Housing Department has nomination rights for 50% of most Trust turnover, with 80% being offered on most newly developed sites. We would remind you that if you are successful in being housed by a Housing Trust, it is unlikely that you would qualify to return to the States housing stock and generally the Trust would be responsible for your future housing needs (unless these are very specific, such as a requirement for a fully adapted property for a disability etc).
We work closely with the following Housing Trusts:
The Jersey Homes Trust
Les Vaux Housing Trust
Christians Together in Jersey (CTJ) Housing Trust
Clos De Paradis Housing Trust
F.B Cottages Housing Trust
The Community Homes Trust
Parish Accommodation
A number of the Parish’s manage their own stock of older person’s accommodation. If you are interested, you should indicate on your application form that you may be interested.
CURRENT MAXIMUM INCOME LEVELS FOR STATES RENTAL ACCOMMODATION
The maximum income limit for all applicants is £40,000. The level of savings will be considered on a case by case basis, as we will take into account your age and any special housing requirements you may have.
Effective Date
This is the Housing Minister’s policy. However, your application may still be considered even if you fall outside of criteria. The Housing Department understands that a person’s home is one of the most important factors in their life and will therefore consider situations even when they are deemed to fall outside of this Policy.
The policy shall become active on the date on which the respective Ministerial Decision was signed by the Minister.
Policy Drafted | 10th April 2007 | D Caunce Director of Tenant Services |
| | |
Policy Reviews |
Date |
Reviewed By |
A number of minor amendments have been made to this Policy, largely in respect of an increase to the income limit to tie in better with the Homebuy Gateway criteria. Other amendments include changes to ages that the Dept expects children to share bedrooms and annual reviews on applications. |
16th October 2009 | Allocation Officers: Vicky A’Court & Nadine Griffiths Housing Services Officer: Clare Richmond Tenants Forum Sub Group D Caunce, Director of Sales and Lettings |
Further minor amendments following feedback from the Tenants Forum |
24 November 2009 |
D Caunce, Director of Sales & Lettings |
Assessment & Allocations Policy Page 16th September 2009
gov.je