Joining the housing register

Demand for housing in Kirklees

Demand for social housing in the Kirklees is high and many more people want social housing than the number of homes that become available. Being registered does not mean you will be successful in bidding and waiting times are lengthy.

There are several other options available to you which may help you get re-housed sooner, find out more about these by completing a Housing Action Plan. See Other housing options for details.

Who can register?

The Council registers everyone over 16 who apply for housing assistance unless they are not eligible to be considered for rehousing under Part 6 Housing Act 1996. If you are 16 or 17 your housing register application will remain on hold until your 18th birthday.

To be eligible, you must:

• be 16 years of age or over and have the right to live in the UK and already living here
• and not be classified as ineligible under section 160ZA (2) or (4) Housing Act 1996

The Council does not accept applications from customers who are currently living outside the UK except those serving in Her Majesties Forces overseas.

Housing allocation assessment criteria

As part of our Housing allocations policy we use a banding scheme to compare the needs of customers on our housing register. Customers have their housing needs assessed and are placed into one of five bands; A - E with customers with the highest housing need in Band A.

Band A - Multiple housing need

For people who are experiencing at least two of the following urgent reasons to be housed:

• Homelessness
• High care or support needs
• High medical needs

or

• Retiring school caretakers who are living in Kirklees Council tied accommodation.
• A tenant of the Council or Registered Provider and under occupying the property by two or more bedrooms.
• Members of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces as set out in the Allocation of Housing (Qualification Criteria for Armed Forces) (England) Regulations 2012 and in a reasonable preference group and homeless.
• A care leaver who has been assessed as ready to move into independent living for the first time.

Band B - High housing need

One of the following statements describes your situation:

• Unintentionally homeless households and have a local connection with Kirklees who are in priority need.
• High care or support needs
• High medical needs
• Hostel/Supported Housing Residents
• Kirklees Council tenants who occupy an adapted property which they do not need.
• Kirklees Council tenants classed as severely overcrowded.

Band C - Low housing need

One of the following statements describes your situation:

• Non-priority homeless or intentionally homeless
• A lodger in an overcrowded home.
• Want to move to give or receive care or support.
• Need to move for medical reasons (lower medical needs)
• A Kirklees Council tenant and your home is bigger or smaller than you need
• Need to move for repairs to your home and do not want to move back
• An older Kirklees Council tenant and want to move to a property for older people.
• An approved foster carer

Band D - Non-urgent housing need

• You do not qualify for bands A, B or C.

Band E - Non-urgent housing need

One of the following statements describes your situation:

• Have no local connection to Kirklees Council
• Have current or former Housing Debt
• A Homeowner
• A history of Anti-Social Behaviour

Choice-based lettings

A choice-based lettings scheme allows customers to 'choose' to bid on available properties rather than being placed on a waiting list.

The system the Council uses is called Choose 'n' Move.

• All available properties are advertised on Choose n Move .
• Advert cycles run Wednesday till Sunday at midnight.
• Customers must bid on properties they want. They can have 3 bids per cycle.

Other housing options

There are lots of different options available but they are not suitable for everyone. By completing a Housing Action Plan you will be able to see which options are suitable for you. Some of the available options include:

Shared ownership

Shared ownership schemes are provided through housing associations. You buy a share of your home (between 25% and 75% of the home's value) and pay rent on the remaining share. It is an affordable way of getting onto the home ownership ladder.

You'll need to take out a mortgage to pay for your share of the home's purchase price.

Shared ownership properties are always leasehold.

Eligibility criteria

You can buy a home through shared ownership if:

• your household earns £60,000 a year or less
• you're a first-time buyer - or you used to own a home, but can't afford to buy one now
• you rent a council or housing association property
• you qualify for "Home Ownership for People with Long-Term Disabilities (HOLD)" can help you buy any home that's for sale on a shared ownership basis if you have a long-term disability.

Finding a shared ownership home

To buy a shared ownership home, you need to contact your local Help to buy agent.

Mutual exchange

A mutual exchange is where two tenants of social housing properties exchange their homes. However, if you find another tenant to swap with, you must ask your landlord for permission before you move. If you move without permission you could lose your home.

A Mutual Exchange can offer several benefits, such as:

• It may be much quicker than bidding for a new home through Choose 'n' move
• You can arrange multiple swaps where a chain of tenants swap properties to find their perfect home
• A swap can take place between a Kirklees Council (KNH / Pinnacle) tenant and a Housing Association tenant within the Kirklees area.

Find out more Mutual house exchange (Home Swap) .

Homefit

Anyone whose home is too big could benefit from the Homefit scheme, but if you're of working age and concerned about losing housing benefit because your house is 'under occupied,' then you may also want to think about it.

Find out more Homefit Scheme

Retirement and Extra Care Housing

Kirklees Neighbourhood Housing manages 19 Retirement Living schemes across Kirklees. These homes are aimed at anyone over the age of 60 who enjoys their own independence but wants peace of mind about their health, safety and security. The waiting time for Retirement Housing is often shorter than general needs Council homes.

There are also other Retirement Housing schemes managed by Registered Social Landlords across Kirklees. These are often advertised through Choose n Move but you can also apply directly to the landlord.

For those who have higher needs but still want independence, Extra Care Housing may be an option. There are 3 Council owned Extra Care schemes in Kirklees, you can apply if you're over 50, have a housing need and a care need. An assessment on these needs has to be done before you will be considered for an Extra Care home.

There is also a semi self-contained Lodge, comprising of 10 flats for people with dementia. The Lodge runs alongside and is fully integrated with the main scheme, with tenants being free to access all facilities in the main building. Independent living is encouraged for as long as possible while the on-site staff team support tenants to remain healthy and safe.

• Extra care housing
• Specialist accommodation

Private rented

There are no eligibility requirements for renting from a private landlord. Renting privately is the most popular way of renting a home in the UK and is a good option for all people wanting to live in Kirklees.

There are many advantages to renting in the private sector:

• You have more choice over where you live
• You have more choice in the type of property you live in
• It is almost always quicker than getting a Social Housing home
• Homes can often come furnished
• It can be affordable even if you're out of work or on a low income as you can claim housing benefit up to the Local Housing Allowance

• Local Housing Allowance bedroom calculator
• Bond guarantee scheme - tenants
• Rent a room - LETS HELP YOU
• Buying your home