Bedfordshire Choice Based Lettings Scheme

As part of the government’s drive to increase choice in public services, all social housing providers (councils and housing associations) have to ensure that applicants are given some choice over the property they are offered. In addition, the government is urging local authorities and housing associations to work far more closely together on a regional basis in terms of building and allocating properties.  The government is keen to increase people’s ability to move across regions for both housing and work.  If local authorities and housing associations work more closely to deal with the housing needs of people across the region, then it is hoped that this will increase mobility, especially for people looking for work.

A group of officers from across the region are working on producing a sub regional choice based lettings scheme, which it is hoped will be up and running by early 2009.  The officers represent: South Bedfordshire District Council, Aragon Housing Association, bpha, Luton Borough Council, Mid Bedfordshire District Council and Bedford Borough Council.

Essentially a choice based lettings scheme (CBL) ensures that applicants for housing have some choice over the property they are offered.  For Bedfordshire the plan includes advertising all the vacant properties that become available, and these adverts will be available widely.  All applicants waiting for housing will be able to “bid” or express an interest in a property.  The person with the highest priority for that size property and waiting the longest with that priority will be the person who it is allocated to. 

To increase mobility across the region, it is also planned that each of the main housing providers will also accept bids for a small proportion of their vacancies from applicants who live in other parts of the region.  For example- a vacancy in South Bedfordshire may also be of interest to someone who is on the Housing Register in Bedford.

The other important factor in choice based lettings schemes, is that in addition to advertising vacancies, feedback is also given on who successfully bid on previously advertised vacancies.  Feedback will be given on what priority the successful applicant had, and also how long they had been waiting.  This will then allow all applicants to have a clearer understanding of their own housing options and have a more realistic view of whether they may be able to obtain the type of property they want in the area they want. If very few vacancies come up in an area, then applicants will have a very long time to wait.  Through this, applicants should make more realistic choices.

Of course the choice of properties will still be limited as the council can only let the properties that become available.  Nevertheless, applicants will be telling us what properties they are interested in, instead of housing employees deciding which property will be offered to which applicant.  Allocating properties this way should mean that applicants will be happier with their offer of accommodation and remain in the property longer.

For further information and to take part in our consultation process 

If you have any further questions- please contact:-

Housing Advisory Services Team,
South Bedfordshire District Council,
The District Offices,
High Street North,
Dunstable,
Bedfordshire. LU6 1LF

Telephone: 0845 849 6204