Social housing

There was a time when, if you needed a council or housing association home, you had to take what was given. Now people looking for a rented home have a real choice in deciding where they live by participating in the Medway HomeChoice scheme (www.medwayhomechoice.co.uk). You can be considered for any home you like the look of, within reason. You can express an interest in as many homes as you want until you are successful, provided you follow a few basic rules.

What is Medway HomeChoice?
Joining Medway HomeChoice
Looking for a home
Right to appeal

What is Medway HomeChoice?

Medway HomeChoice is designed to make social housing more accessible. In Medway, there is no need to just wait on a list for the council or a housing association to offer you something. You can take action yourself to look for a suitable home. People who may be unable to look for a home themselves, perhaps because of a particular disability, can appoint someone to help them find a suitable home.

Once registered with Medway HomeChoice, you will be able to bid for Medway Council and housing association properties advertised on a weekly basis in Medway.

Joining Medway HomeChoice

If you are on the housing register in Medway, you can take part in HomeChoice. You can apply by completing a simple application form. Priority will be given to people who have a local connection with Medway, for example through living in the area recently, employment or family connections.

When you are registered with Medway HomeChoice, you will be sent a reference number and informed of your level of housing need.

You will be placed in one of four priority bands:

• People in band A will be those with the highest housing need.
• Those in bands B and C will have the lowest level of need.
• People in band D are very unlikely to have a local connection with Medway and will only be offered accommodation if no suitable expressions of interest are received from people in bands A-C.

Your priority for housing in your band will depend on your level of housing need and the date that you joined that priority band.

Find out more about how banding works.

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Looking for a home

Once you join Medway HomeChoice it is up to you to look for a home.

How do I know which properties are available?

Available homes are advertised every week using:

• local free newspapers;
• Medway HomeChoice’s website: if you do not have internet access at home, a full list of places you can use the internet is included in the information packs provided to everyone joining Medway HomeChoice;
• in Medway Council and local housing association offices;
• direct mail to you or an advocate if you have difficulty using other methods or you need someone to help you with your bidding.

Each advertisement will clearly state whether a home is available to Medway Council transfer applicants who want to move from a council home, to new applicants for housing or to both.

Some properties may also be reserved for certain other types of applicant, depending on the landlord's policies. Any restrictions will be made clear. This should help you decide whether you want to bid for the property and if you are eligible for the property.

How do I express an interest in a property?

You can express your interest in a property in a number of ways, for example by phone, on the internet or by post. These expressions of interest are called bids.

Rules about bidding

• You can only make one bid per property.
• You can bid for as many properties as you want each week, as long as you are eligible for them.
• If the advertised property does not meet your housing needs, for example the property is the wrong size, you will not be eligible for the property and will not be considered for it.
• You must make your bid for the property before the advertised closing date.

If you bid by post, you must make sure that HomeChoice receives the bid before the closing date for the property.

There are some additional rules about bidding for homes intended for older people, sheltered accommodation and homes that have been adapted for disabled people.

How will I know if I've been successful?

After the closing date, the landlord of each property will receive a list of everyone who has bid. If your name is at the top of the priority list and you are eligible, you will normally be invited to view the property. If you refuse this property, the next person on the shortlist will be invited to view the property.

Many landlords invite more than one person to view their properties at the same time, although the property is offered first to the person with the highest priority who goes to the viewing.

If you are at the top of more than one list, the landlord will decide which property to offer you and the other properties will be offered to someone else.

Any offer is subject to your application being verified. HomeChoice will check all the information you have given on your application to make sure that your situation is still the same at the time of the offer and that you still need that type of property.

If you receive an offer to view a property and do not intend to go, you must contact the landlord.

People at the top of a shortlist are usually contacted within 10 days of the bid closing. However, some properties are advertised before they are ready for occupation and take longer to shortlist. If a person who was top of the list refuses, the next person on the list may be invited to view some weeks after the closing date.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to notify you individually when bids have been unsuccessful. If you have not been contacted about a property on which you made a bid for within 10 working days, you should assume that you have been unsuccessful.

If you are offered a property, you will not be shortlisted for other properties until a decision is made on the shortlist, irrespective of whether you decide to accept or refuse the offer.

Please be aware that, if you are homeless and express an interest in a property and then refuse it, this may affect your application for housing and result in the council's duty being discharged. This may also affect your priority band on Medway HomeChoice.

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Right to appeal

An appeal or request for a review can be made against the following decisions:

• Not to register someone on the HomeChoice database (also known as the housing register).
• To exclude someone from bidding on HomeChoice.
• To remove someone from the HomeChoice scheme other than at his or her request.
• That an applicant is ineligible for an offer.
• Other decisions relating to the HomeChoice scheme and housing allocations policy, including banding and priority dates.

Requests for a review of a decision made by Medway Council may be made in writing within 21 days of you becoming aware of the decision. Assistance in preparing your appeal may be provided by independent advice agencies such as the Citizens Advice Bureau or Shelter (www.shelter.org.uk).

A senior officer who was not involved in making the original decision will consider your appeal.

Where there is additional or fresh information which had not been previously considered but it is likely that the original decision will stand, the senior officer dealing with your appeal will give you the opportunity to talk about your case before a final decision is issued on your appeal.

Once the final decision is made, you will be notified in writing with the reasons for the decision.

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