Housing choice: how can it be better?
IT’S TIME to have your say on the borough council’s draft Housing Allocations and Pet Policies.
West Lancashire Borough Council is hoping to make a number of improvements to the way it allocates its housing and wants to hear your views.
The council is proposing the changes to its Housing Allocations Policy to support making the best possible use of its housing to meet people’s needs.
Other reasons for the improvements include addressing issues of rent affordability.
Prospective tenants may no longer be entitled to welfare benefits, or may not receive enough benefits to cover their full rent obligation and the council want to support people into tenancies that they can afford.
A public consultation on the draft updated policy is being held by the council which will last until March 22, 2018.
A new draft pet policy for council housing, which is suggesting relaxing rules around pet ownership in certain accommodation, will be consulted on at the same time.
You can see the full draft policies, and find out how to give your views, by visiting www.westlancs. gov.uk/yourviews and clicking on “consultations underway”.
Cllr Jenny Forshaw, portfolio holder for housing and landlord services, said: “The council is really keen to hear what you think about the draft policies so I urge people to take part in the consultation, including tenants and people on the housing register.
“All reasonable comments received will be considered in producing the final policies.”
Important amendments being considered in the updated draft Housing Allocations Policy include:
Changes to the way applicants for housing are put into priority bands.
Amendments to the criteria used for allocating a home to someone with a local connection to areas in the borough that have local connection criteria.
Reducing the age limit for people to live in sheltered accommodation from 60 to 55 (or 50 if it is not a communal sheltered scheme).
New rules governing how an application from an existing council tenant to move to another council property is considered.
Measures to help ensure all applicants have a successful tenancy that they can afford if they are given a home
If the updated policy is implemented it will apply to those currently on the waiting list for council housing and new applicants and existing council tenants looking to move to another council property.