People who want to join Rochford District Council’s housing register will need to have lived in the district for at least five years. This is one of the changes to the Council’s new social housing allocations policy that was agreed by councillors of the Communities, Wellbeing & Housing Committee this week (Thursday 19 June).
This follows a public consultation on the proposed changes to the policy earlier this year, where respondents voted in favour of all proposed changes, with many of the questions returning at least an 80% in favour response.
Rochford District Council do not own their own housing stock and are reliant on nominations from registered providers of social housing in the district, so it is essential that the policy considers the ever-changing local housing pressures. With the number of properties becoming available being less than the demand for homes, we need to ensure that these properties are going to our local residents most in housing need. The new social housing allocations policy will also help the Council manage the expectations of those on the Housing Register.
The Council’s previous policy was more generous than some other policies in the surrounding areas, where people who did not currently live within the district could still apply to join the Housing Register if they had a ‘family’ connection, but in the new policy, applicants will only be able to apply if they have lived within the district for 5 years.
Amongst other changes, the Council will also introduce Choice Based Lettings, which provides greater opportunity for people needing homes to choose where they would like to live and gives greater transparency to where they are in the queue, to help them get an understanding of how long their wait to be successful is likely to be.
Councillor Mike Webb, Chair of the Communities, Wellbeing and Housing Committee at Rochford District Council, said: “We recognise that housing is one of the most pressing issues for our residents, and this decision means that we are ensuring our allocations policy works for our local residents who need it most. The changes will ensure a fairer, more transparent system that prioritises local residents and better meets the challenges of housing demand in the Rochford District.
“We consulted on the proposed changes and I’m pleased that the survey responses were supportive of our new policy.”
The Council will close the current Housing Register to new applicants on Tuesday 1 July 2025, so that the new Housing Allocations Policy can be implemented and all current applications can be reviewed to determine if they still meet the new criteria.
Existing applicants will be written to in the coming months with further information. From Tuesday 1 July, the Council’s website will also be updated with further advice for applicants on what they can do should they need urgent assistance.