Changes to social housing register would focus on finding homes for 'most vulnerable' as West Northants Council reveals 578 new applications each month
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has proposed a series of changes to its housing register to focus on finding homes for “the most vulnerable”, as it faces increasing demand that outstrips housing supply
The authority’s existing housing allocation system ranks households based on their needs between bands A to D and sets out who is eligible for social housing and who should have priority on available properties.
Under the proposed changes, WNC would seek to reduce the size of the highest priority band A list, which makes up more than 1,100 applicants out of a total 2,230 live applications on WNC’s housing register.
A council report on the draft allocation changes states: “Many applicants on the housing register expect to be rehoused into social / affordable housing, leading to frustration over long waiting times, reduced motivation to seek alternatives, and increased complaints. The council must therefore manage perceptions that social / affordable housing is the only viable option.
“The proposed policy will provide clarity that social and affordable housing is reserved for applicants with a verified housing need, while guiding others toward alternative options such as low-cost homeownership, private renting, or mutual exchange for social tenants.”
Proposed changes include increasing the local connection eligibility requirements so the individual or close family members must have lived in West Northants for a longer period of time, and removing those who have been found to have “deliberately worsened” their housing situation from band D.
Homeless applicants who are not in priority need – which can happen when a person becomes homeless intentionally or refuses certain offers of accommodation – will also be moved down to band B priority, with only those that the council owes a ‘main duty’ to be kept in band A. According to WNC, this change would currently reduce the band A waitlist by around 560 people.
This move comes as WNC reports receiving an average of 578 new housing register applications each month. The council also reports that there has been a 36 per cent increase in applicants since April 2024.
Speaking at a housing scrutiny committee looking at the draft policy, Cllr Farzana Aldridge (Lib Dems) welcomed the new emphasis being placed on housing vulnerable and at risk groups. However, she questioned the potential impact on the groups who would be pushed to a lower band or removed entirely from the waitlist and what research had been done on any knock-on effects.
She added: “There are some issues there because if the rationale is reducing the numbers of applicants, then are there going to be some unmet needs out there which are not being catered for?”
Other members also asked how much the band A list would be reduced by under the new criteria, however officers said they do not currently have the figures.
Jane Carr, director of communities and opportunities at WNC, said the new policy was designed to bring back a focus on “housing need” rather than “housing want”.
She continued: “The reality of the world that we live in is we do not have the housing to house everyone that has applied to us, so we have to make sure that we focus on the most vulnerable.”
The report states a six-week consultation will be launched on the housing allocation changes in mid-December, however officers noted that the start date could be subject to change.
Other proposed changes to the policy include increasing applicants’ bids from three to five and introducing an auto-bid system, changing income thresholds to account for single applicants, single parents and couples, and allowing the award of a higher priority band if the applicant meets two distinctly different criteria within the same level.