More housing choice for Halton residents

A new system for the way social housing will be allocated has moved a significant step closer across the Merseyside area which includes Halton.

Five local authorities have signed a Partnership Agreement to implement a joint choice based lettings scheme.

Halton Borough Council, Knowsley Council, Liverpool City Council, Sefton Council and Wirral Council have pooled their resources, along with local Registered Providers of Social Housing, to develop the choice based lettings scheme, known as Property Pool Plus.

The scheme will provide a fair and transparent system which will empower existing tenants and new applicants who are looking for a move.

Choice based lettings already exists in Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, but is new to Knowsley and Halton.  Rather than applicants waiting for housing to be allocated to them, the Property Pool Plus system will allow applicants to actively search for and bid on properties they are interested in.

Operating one sub-regional system with a joint allocations policy and a single application form will give applicants more control over their social housing choices and a better understanding of what is available to them. It will also give people more flexibility as they can access this service at a place and time that is convenient to them.

The scheme will be introduced in Summer 2012 and further details on how to register will be available in the new year through the local authorities’ and housing associations websites and residents’ magazines. All existing applicants will be contacted by their current schemes – their details will be transferred to the new system and they will keep their original registration dates.