Have your say on housing allocation across Bolsover District

The policy sets out the rules used to decide if someone can apply for social housing and where they would be placed on the register, depending on their needs.

The current policy was agreed in 2020 and tenants and residents have until 13 January 2024 to give their views on the new proposals.

The allocations policy provides a genuine route to access housing for those in need and it is proposed that some sections of the policy need to be amended.

The planned changes ensure Bolsover District Council’s housing allocations policy reflects new housing legislation, particularly regarding eligibility and homelessness prevention. The changes include:

• Prioritising established local families who have a strong connection for residence of two-years or more.
• Providing clearer criteria about when a band will be awarded for each housing criteria within each band, meaning assessments are always consistently applied.
• Suspending applicants who refuses two suitable offers within a 12-month period. Suitable offers are defined within the policy.
• Tightening up the rules around overcrowding, so it is now more reflective of the statutory rules.

Bolsover District Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Sandra Peake said, “We have over 2,000 people on our Housing Register so you can see demand for affordable housing in Bolsover District far outweighs our supply. The planned changes will help ensure that what housing we have available is fairly allocated to those in the most urgent need.

“This consultation is aimed not just at existing housing applicants, or residents living in social housing, but anyone thinking of applying for social housing, so I would encourage local people to share their views with us.”

This survey includes ten questions on the suggested revisions and some further questions about respondents so that we can build an anonymised profile of the people engaging in this consultation. You can find out more and take part in the consultation via the Council’s website - www.bolsover.gov.uk/apc

Requests for a paper copy of the consultation can be emailed to [email protected] or telephone 01246 242424.