Getting an offer of accommodation for social housing

Each year the Council approves an annual allocation plan which determines the distribution of properties across the various queues and bands.

How we make an offer

In a typical year, we nominate approximately 350 households to our partner housing associations for an offer of accommodation. Please note that our policy is to make one suitable offer only.

Within the access queues, properties will be allocated to the applicant in the highest band who has been registered in that band for the longest period, provided the individual property is suitable for that person.

Offers of accommodation are generally notified by telephone first, but will always be confirmed in writing. The offer letter will explain all relevant information.

Although we may register your application, demand far outstrips supply and waiting times for an offer are often lengthy.

Refusing an offer of accommodation

Where a homeless applicant refuses a suitable offer we will consider whether any legal duty owed to the applicant has been discharged. If so, any temporary accommodation will be recovered.

Generally, where an applicant in any queue other than the Homeless Queue (to whom the specific criteria under Part VII of the Housing Act apply) refuses a suitable offer, the application will be cancelled.

Furthermore, for a period of two years following an applicant’s refusal of suitable accommodation the applicant will not qualify to be (or remain) registered on our housing queues, unless there has been a material change in their circumstances so as to make the earlier offer clearly unreasonable in the light of their changed circumstances.

The implications of refusing an offer of accommodation will be notified to applicants in their registration and nomination letters.

You may be eligible to request a review of our decision.