How do we prioritise your application

The NYHC Allocations Policy is framed to support those in greatest housing need and consideration will be given to those that come within the reasonable preference category in line with legislation, The Housing Act 1996 s.167(2) Homelessness Act 2002 Localism Act 2011 and the Homeless reduction Act 2017. These are

  • people who are homeless within part 7 of the Housing Act 1996
  • 193(2) or 195(2) of the 1996 Housing Act (or 65(2) or 68(2) or Housing Act 195 who are occupying accomodation secured by any housing authority under 192(3)
  • people occupying unsanitary or overcrowded housing or else living in unsatisfactory housing conditions
  • people who need to move on medical or welfare grounds (including grounds relating to a disability)
  • people who need to move to a particular locality in the district of the housing authority, where failure to meet that need would cause hardship (to themselves or to others)
  • North Yorkshire Home Choice will give additional preference to members of the armed forces who fall within one of the reasonable preference categories above and who have urgent housing needs and meet one of the following criteria
    -serving in the regular forces and is suffering from a serious injury illness or disability which is attributable to their persons service
    -the person formally served within the armed forces where the application is within 5 years of discharge. 
    -the person has recently ceased or will cease to be entitled to reside in accomodation provided by the Ministry of Defense following the death  of that persons spouce  or civil partner who served in the regular forces and whose death was attributable to that service. These applicants will have their application backdated by 6 months at the time of activation
     
  • additional preference will be given to applications from foster carers, those persons approved  to adopt or those persons being assessed for approval to adopt or foster who need to move to a larger property in order to accommodate a looked after child or a child who was previously looked after by the local authority. 
  • additional prefernce will also be given to applicants who meet the criteria and have completed a resettlement programme and approved by a senior officer

For full details and the criteria to qualify please refer to the allocations policy document

How will we prioritise  applications?

Applicants are placed in one of 4 bands according to their circumstances. These are:

  • Emergency
  • Gold
  • Silver
  • Bronze

Emergency band

This band is intended to meet the needs of applicants in extreme circumstances only. It will only contain a small number of applicants at any one time and is subject to a time limit.

  • unable to return to their home from hospital because their current home is permanently unsuitable
  • unable to access key facilities in their home without major adaptation works
  • Only applicants with a local connection to the partnership area will be considered for the emergency band.

Gold Band

  • care leavers, at point of leaving a care home or supported housing with an agreed support package and have been assessed as ready for independent living
  • applicants who need to move on from an approved accommodation based supported housing programme and who have successfully completed a resettlement programe and are able to live independntly
  • under-occupiers of a local authority or housing association property in the partnership area who want to move to a property with at least two fewer bedrooms
  • statutory homeless households under Part 7 Housing Act 1996/HRA 2017  Owed a statutory main duty to house
  • applicants owed a relief duty and the Local Authority have a reason to believe homeless eligible for assistance and in priority need 
  • applicants who are overcrowded and require 2 or more bedrooms
  • applicants whose current accommodation is assessed as having a direct impact or seriously compromising a medically diagnosed health and/or wellbeing condition
  • applicants who have been assessed and accepted as having a proven housing need to move to a specific locality so that hardship can be prevented

Silver Band

  • applicants whose current accomodation is assessed as having a detrimental impact or compromising a diagnosed medical condition and/or health and wellbing condition
  • applicants owed a homeless relief duty no priority need
  • applicants who are homeless under part 7 1996 Housing Act 1996/HRA 2017 and no main duty to house or found intentional regardless of priority need
  • households owed a homeless prevention duty
  • applicants who are overcrowded and require 1 more bedroom
  • applicants whose home lacks basic amenities not due to the failure of the applicant
  • applicants who share a bathroom and/or kitchen with separate households of people who will not be moving with them  
  • under-occupiers of a local authority or housing association property in the partnership area who want to move to property with one less bedroom
  • applicants from foster carers, those approved to adopt, or those persons being assessed for approval to foster or adopt, who need  a larger home in order to accommodate a looked after child or a child previously looked after by a local authority.

Bronze band

  • Applicants who have been assessed as being adequately housed with no priority housing need but who are eligible and qualify for the housing register