Who can apply

To apply for housing and  access to the North Yorkshire Home Choice housing register, we ask you to complete a housing application. The application form and information you give allows us to fulfil our role as a social housing provider,  to confirm that you are eligible for social housing, qualify for access to the North Yorkshire Home Choice  housing register and help us assess your housing needs.

Please read our Privacy Notice before you provide your personal information.

Eligibility

Applicants must be eligible for social housing as per current government legislation.

Legislation states that an applicant may be ineligible for an allocation of accomodation under s.160ZA(2) or (4) Part 6 Housing Act 1996.

Qualification

Legislation states that the allocation of accommodation may only be to persons who are defined as "qualifying person" (s160ZA(6) and 7) and these requirements are in addition to eligibility in respect of persons from abroad (s160A(2) and 4).

The Localism Act 2011 provided local authorities with greater freedom to manage their own waiting lists and decide who qualifies for access to their housing register and ensure homes are allocated to  the people who genuinely need them. .

North Yorkshire Home Choice Housing (NYHC) Allocations Policy sets out the criteria for those persons  who may qualify for the housing register.

Any UK rsident aged 16 or over may be able apply to join the register.

Applicants aged 16 and 17 (and Care Leavers) will be only be accepted if they have support to enable them to sustain a tenancy and a trustee who can hold a tenancy on their behalf until they reach the age of 18.

If you are eligible to apply to the register then you must meet the qualification criteria for the NYHC Housing Register and have a local connection to the area.

Local Connection

Current residence in the partnership area for at least 6 out of the last 12 months.

Current or previous residence in the partnership area for at least 3 out of the last 5 years. 

Employment in the partnership area on either a full or part time basis for a minimum of six months. The main place of work must be in the partnership area. Casual, seasonal, and voluntary work is not included. An employment contract must remain valid at the point of offer. 

The applicant has close family who currently lives in the partnership area and has been resident for at least the last 5 years. (Defined as: mother; father; adult son; adult daughter; adult brother; adult sister 

The applicant has an essential need to move and live closely to another person, who currently lives in the partnership area, and who has been resident for the last 5 years, to provide or receive essential daily care or support. Applicants accepted on this basis may be subject to localised bid restrictions, where the person they are moving to be near resides. 

Care leavers as defined by the Children’s Act 1989 

Non Qualification 

Certan applicants may not qualify to join the housing register and these include persons;

Applicants aged 16 and 17 years unless they meet the following criteria:

  • they are a looked after child under section 20 Children Act 1989 or a care leaver with a relevant support package and Trustee and are ready for independent living as agreed with Social Services and confirmed by the Local Authority Housing department, OR
  • they must have an appropriate support package in the area they wish to live
               to enable them to sustain their residency and they must have an identified
               trustee who can hold any tenancy on their behalf until the age of 18. Trustees
               can be a person or an organization, and will not have a financial liability
  • Persons that are guilty of unacceptable behaviour that makes them an unsuitable tenant. See Appendix 2 for further details.  
  • Persons who have current rent arrears either to a social housing provider or private landlord.
  • Persons who are currently in breach of their tenancy conditions and their landlord has started formal action.
  • Persons who have outstanding housing related debt where no acceptable repayment arrangement has been made.
  • Tenants on an introductory/starter/demoted tenancy.  
  • Those who have no local connection to the partnership area.
  • Applicants subject to Multi Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA)
    where their risk is deemed too high.  Applicants who are accepted under MAPPA may be restricted to a specific area or subject to a direct offer of a property which will be subject to approval by the necessary agencies.
  • Those who own their own home or reside with a household member who is a homeowner, whether they reside in it or not and have no housing need.   
  • Those who have a combined household income and/or savings and/or capital of £60,000 or above which would enable them to meet their own housing need.
  • Those who have deliberately worsened their housing circumstances with the intention of increasing their housing priority.
  • Those who knowingly or recklessly give false information and/or knowingly withhold information.
  • Those who refuse two suitable property offers within a 12-month period, or a single direct offer of accommodation.  
  • Disqualified applicants or members of their household during the period of disqualification.
  • Households within the first year of a social housing tenancy, including mutual exchange unless there is a key change in circumstances which makes the current property unsuitable to remain in and the move is assessed, supported, and approved by a senior officer.
  • Applicants assessed as needing support to hold and maintain a tenancy and there is no appropriate support in place.

 

Exceptions

In certain circumstances the qualification criteria may not apply, these include:

  • Homeless applicants owed a main duty under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996, or with an accepted relief duty who are in priority need. 
  • Accepted households under MAPPA.  
  • Applicants who have come through the National Witness Protection Scheme.
  • Victims of Domestic Abuse and Care leavers as defined by 2(3)(a) and 2(3)(b) of The Allocation of Housing (Qualification Criteria for Victims of Domestic Abuse and Care Leavers) (England) Regulations 2025

These cases will be individually assessed and, where supported and approved by a Senior Officer, may be considered as qualifying for the housing register. Restrictions may be applied on the property type and/or area of choice an accepted applicant can bid, or they may receive a single direct offer of accommodation.