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Assessment of housing need

Allocating homes

This information explains how Portsmouth City Council uses a Banding System for assessing housing need and priority for allocating homes.

What is Banding?

Banding is simply an easier, clearer and fairer way of identifying housing need than the Points Scheme, which was in use for most applicants since 1985.

It will mean that Housing Options will be able to give a better indication to customers of the timescales in which they can expect to be offered a property and whether they might be eligible for other housing options.  These Bands are explained in this leaflet.

What Band will you go into?

Existing applicants will be transferred into the relevant Band, ensuring that it does not affect their position on the Housing Register.

New applicants will have their housing need assessed when they complete a Portsmouth Housing Register Needs Assessment form and will be placed into the appropriate Band.

Explanation of the Bands

• Homeless
  All applicants who are homeless, or likely to lose their accommodation and have been accepted under the Homelessness legislation.
• Priority Rehousing & Supported Housing Scheme
  Exceptional cases in need of an urgent move.  
• Under Occupation
  Existing City Council or Housing Association tenants in Portsmouth who have one or more spare bedrooms in their current accommodation and want to move to a smaller property.
• Priority Move
  Tenants needing to move urgently to other accommodation because of severe neighbour problems, harassment, domestic violence or disrepair, which cannot be resolved.
• Accessible Housing *
  Applicants who have been assessed as needing to move because of mobility and access difficulties.    
• Multiple Need *
  Applicants who have housing needs due to a combination of both inadequate housing and health care and support issues.  
• Health Care And Support *
  Applicants assessed as needing to move for health reasons. Those needing care and/or support in their home or needing to move to give care and/or support are included in this Band.
• Inadequate Housing *
  Applicants who lack one or more bedrooms in their current accommodation, or have inadequate or shared facilities, eg: bathroom, kitchen.
• Adequately Housed
  Those that do not fall into any other Band.

How long will you wait to be allocated a property?

Within the Bands marked with a star, applicants will be given a high, medium or low level of priority reflecting their level of need.

Applicants will be considered in date order within their level of priority. This will enable us to advise applicants of their position within their Band and give an indication of how long it may be before they are housed.

Within the other Bands, applicants will be considered in date order.

A quota of properties will be allocated to each Band. The majority of available properties will be allocated to those with the greatest housing need or to those releasing larger properties.

If you choose an area where the City Council or Housing Associations own very few properties, eg: Copnor, Drayton, Farlington or Milton, you are likely to face a long wait before we can make you an offer regardless of your need to move.

We are available to discuss areas of choice, availability and types of property with you and how long it is likely to be before we can make you an offer.

Further information

For more information, please contact Housing Options.

Health, Housing and Social Care, Housing Options, Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, PO1 2AX

Telephone: 023 9283 4989

Email: housing_options@portsmouthcc.gov.uk