How houses are allocated

You will be placed in the Corporate Needs band if your circumstances reflect the key corporate priorities of the City Council. Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Care leavers
  • People moving on from specialist supported housing
  • People who are releasing larger properties
  • Those approved to foster and need a larger property

You will be placed in the Priority Needs band for reasons such as:

  • Being homeless or threatened with homelessness
  • Living in overcrowded accommodation
  • You have been a member of the armed forces
  • You are at serious risk of harm

If you are placed the General Needs band, it is likely you will be waiting a long time for a property. You will be placed in this band for reasons like:

  • Under occupying a property by one bedroom
  • You need to move to take up or remain in employment
  • Our homeless duty has ended

If you have been placed in the 'Open to all' band, it means you either do not have a recognised housing need or you are not eligible, for instance you have rent arrears and no repayment plan in place. It is highly unlikely that you will be offered a property. There are currently around 2000 people in Open to all and in the last three months, 0 properties have been advertised in this band.

We recommend that people in this band look at other options such as renting privately, or if you're already in a social housing property, consider a 'Mutual Exchange'.