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Applying to join the council's Housing Register
If you believe you have a housing need, you may qualify to join the Housing Register.  To discuss, please call our housing advice line on 0300 456 0106.  We will give advice about your housing issue and discuss whether you qualify to join the register.
Backlog of housing needs assessments
If you have already made a housing application, we have a 6 to 8 week backlog of documents and housing needs assessments to perform.  We prioritise help to homeless persons and consider incoming documents in date order to ensure fairness.  It is appreciated that this may be frustrating for customers.  The council is recruiting additional staff to cope with the service's increased demand but it will be some months before the situation eases.
Contacting the service
If you believe you have a housing need and wish to join the Housing Register, please call 0300 456 0106.  Please see our How to contact us page for further information.

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Please note that new housing applications will be considered after an initial telephone conversation with a Housing Caseworker.  Our number is 0300 456 0106 9 am to 5 pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 2 to 5 pm on Wednesday (closed on Wednesday morning).

The Housing Caseworker will explore the reasons you wish to join the Housing Register and opportunities to improve your present housing situation.  The conversation will include discussion of private sector housing solutions in light of the rising demand for social rented homes.  As an illustration of the demand, the number of people on the council’s Housing Register has increased by 227% in the last 5 years with turnover of general needs houses and flats having reduced at the same time. 

The council only admits working age customers with a housing need as defined in the council's Allocation Policy to the Housing Register.  You will need to fall into one of the needs categories otherwise we cannot consider you -

  • homeless or sleeping rough or
  • statutorily overcrowded or
  • lacking sufficient space for children or a disabled person or
  • suffering domestic abuse or harassment or
  • having a welfare or medical need to move eg home physically unsuitable or
  • unable to meet one's own essential living costs eg food, heating or
  • home presently unsuitable for another reason

Pension age applicants with support needs without any of the above needs are admitted to the Housing Register.  However, it is important to note that disrepair is not a housing need.  It is landlords' responsibility to maintain homes to a reasonable standard for their tenants.

The council is very conscious that changes in the housing market mean more people are struggling to find suitable and sustainable accommodation.  For this reason, we want to speak to people early about the reasons for seeking a social rented home, to help resolve housing problems quickly.