1. Home Choice Plus The Council’s housing waiting list & allocating
“Local Choice” homes
Renata Mosz

2. Who is on Home Choice Plus?

3. Who is on Home Choice Plus?

4. Who can go on Home Choice Plus?
Households seeking housing association homes in the District must join Home Choice Plus - also known as the Housing Waiting List or Register
Different for rent and shared ownership homes
Applicants need a local connection to the Home Choice Plus partnership area and a housing need (unless exemptions apply)
Eligibility for Home Choice Plus is assessed on application and when properties are allocated

5. What is the partnership area?
Stratford-on-Avon District and most of Worcestershire
Bromsgrove District Council
Malvern Hills District Council
Worcester City Council
Wychavon District Council
Wyre Forest District Council
Redditch Borough Council is not in the partnership area

6. How is local connection defined in the Home Choice Plus partnership area?
Current residence in the Home Choice Plus area for at least two years
Current employment in the Home Choice Plus area for at least 6 months
Current residence of a close family member for at least 5 years
Previous residence for three out of the last five years at the point of application

7. Home Choice Plus local connection exemptions
Very few households i.e.
People who are statutory homeless
Some carers
Armed forces applicants
People moving for work
Other special reasons

8. How are applications assessed?
In line with the Home Choice Plus Allocations Policy which prioritises the housing needs of applicants
Current Allocations Policy (June 2015) is more restrictive than previous policies
Financial hardship; make the case if renting privately
Households local to this District are a higher priority than other households in the partnership area

9. Home Choice Plus – the allocation process (1)
Housing association notifies Council of vacancy/vacancies
Properties advertised via Home Choice Plus
Applicants place bids
System generates shortlist
Housing Advice Team manually check shortlist to confirm parish local connection

10. Home Choice Plus – the allocation process (2)
6. Bidders with a confirmed local parish connection ranked in housing need order
7. Households with the greatest need will be nominated by the Council to the housing association
8. Properties will be allocated by the housing association

11. Home Choice Plus & Local Choice (1)
Local connections are given equal weighting
Local connections are not cumulative
Households with a local connection are considered in the order of their housing need

12. Home Choice Plus & Local Choice (2)
All new housing association properties are advertised via Home Choice Plus
Applicants have to register an interest in these properties by bidding
New housing association homes can only be allocated to “qualifying households”
These households must have a qualifying local connection to the parish in which the properties are built

13. Home Choice Plus & Local Choice (3)
Independent evidence is collated by the District Council to confirm parish local residence e.g.
Copies of full birth certificates
Access to Council Tax records for current residence of applicant households or their immediate family
Confirmation from employers of time employed, place of work etc.
Any other evidence as appropriate that could prove residence for the required period

14. How is local connection defined in s106 legal agreements?
Agreed following parish council consultation 2013:
Born in the parish or
Currently lives in the parish and has done so for at least 12 months or
Currently works in the parish and has done so for at least 12 months or
Previously lived in the parish for at least 3 years or
Has immediate family resident in the parish for at least 3 years.

15. S106 versus Home Choice Plus local connection criteria
Assuming a household is on Home Choice Plus, a S106 for a “Local Choice” scheme overrides Home Choice Plus policy
S106 in perpetuity – unless all parties agree a variation which is a costly and lengthy process
Home Choice Plus policy does change – rent and shared ownership
Majority of people on Home Choice Plus live in the District and have done so for a long time

16. Summary of Home Choice Plus
Households need to be registered with Home Choice Plus to be considered for housing
Households must place “bids”
All new properties are advertised via Home Choice Plus
Allocations will only be made to households who can demonstrate the relevant local parish connection and have the greatest housing need
Local connection categories have equal weighting

17. Where can I find out more about Home Choice Plus?
Website
Contact the Housing Advice Team on or
Martin Cowan, Housing Advice Manager,
Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Elizabeth House, Church Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6HX
Telephone: