Housing Allocation Scheme consultation

Have your say on proposed changes to our Housing Allocation Scheme

Consultation closed: Tuesday 18 January 2022
Consultation opened: Wednesday 27 October 2021

Results

View or download the consultation report (PDF)

About the consultation

We published a new draft Housing Allocation Scheme, which set out in detail who is eligible and qualifies for social and affordable rented housing in Central Bedfordshire, how applicants can apply for housing, how they are assessed and how properties are allocated. The law requires every local housing authority to have an allocation scheme for determining the priorities and the procedure to be followed when allocating housing accommodation. All applications for social housing accommodation in Central Bedfordshire are assessed in accordance with our Housing Allocation Scheme. 

We proposed a number of changes to our current scheme, which intend to make the process simpler and fairer for applicants and those responsible for administering it. Major policy changes were made to the allocation scheme in 2015, which is when the last consultation took place. Since then, the scheme has been updated from time to time to reflect changes in the law, and minor changes as allowed by the scheme, with changes made as recently as December 2020.

Our proposed changes focus on four themes:

  • helping vulnerable people and families
  • having one combined housing register and Housing Allocation Scheme
  • making fair assessments
  • giving priority to people in Central Bedfordshire

Due to the significant number of changes, we invited the public, current and prospective housing tenants, housing providers, neighbouring councils, and partners to provide formal feedback on the proposed changes through this formal public consultation which ran for 12 weeks from Wednesday 27 October 2021 to Tuesday 18 January 2022.

View or download the consultation document (PDF) for the full details on the proposed changes.

What happens next?

Following consideration of public feedback, a finalised new Housing Allocation Scheme will be approved by our Executive Committee and published in summer 2022.