People in north Oxfordshire will soon be asked to have their say on how social housing is allocated.
Published: Monday, 8th July 2024
Cherwell District Council is proposing changes to its allocations scheme to better support domestic abuse survivors, the armed forces, and people in temporary accommodation.
The council executive approved the draft policy for public consultation on Monday, 8 July, and people can have their say later this month, with dates shortly to be confirmed.
Councillor Chris Pruden, Portfolio Holder for Housing, said: “Everyone deserves a safe and secure roof over their head. With social housing in short supply, it’s all the more important that we keep our policies up to date and allocate accommodation to best meet residents’ needs when they are at their most vulnerable.
“When people apply to us for social housing, they are assigned a level of priority based on their unique circumstances. The updates we are looking to make would allow us to give more options to victims of domestic abuse. It would give more priority to armed forces personnel and to people who are already homeless.
“We are also raising the financial cap on people applying to the housing register to reflect the cost of living crisis, and improving how we prioritise people currently in overcrowded homes. We want the public to have their say on these important changes to how we handle social housing in north Oxfordshire.”
There are also policy amendments to provide more clarity and consistency for people on government refugee resettlement schemes, and revised criteria relating to homes which will be built in the south of the district under the council’s commitment to help provide for Oxford’s unmet housing need.
Consultation dates will be confirmed and publicised in the coming weeks, and feedback will help shape the final policy.