• People who are homeless;
• People who are overcrowded or live in poor conditions;
• People who need to move on medical or welfare grounds;
• People who need to move to a particular locality where failure to meet that need will result in hardship.

• Homelessness or threatened with homelessness
• Overcrowding
• Housing conditions
• Medical grounds
• Welfare and Special Needs
• Additional preference
• Financial resources
• Local connection
• Tenancy conduct

Use the above links for the additional preference points' sections.

Homelessness or threatened with homelessness

People will be awarded points on the Housing Register if they are owed a duty with accommodation under the homelessness legislation. Points can also be awarded if a person is homeless, but no duty is owed but these points will be significantly lower. Points will also be awarded if you have been asked to leave your accommodation or your home is subject to possession proceedings. If you are housed in temporary homeless accommodation, points will be awarded to recognise the length of time you have been in temporary accommodation.

Overcrowding

This heading looks at the size of your present accommodation and considers whether or not you have enough room for you or your family. Particular attention is paid to the size and number of bedrooms that are available.

Points are awarded for each room lacking or for rooms of inadequate size. Where elderly applicants require one bedroom accommodation and they are currently under-occupying their present home this will also be taken into account.

Housing conditions

Points will also be awarded if your home lacks basic facilities, is in disrepair or is suffering from dampness. A range of points can be awarded where basic facilities are lacking such as lack of heating, hot water, food storage or preparation facilities. Points will also be awarded for disrepair, dampness, poor internal or external arrangement or deficient ventilation and natural lighting. Points will be awarded if you have young children with no access to a garden or you have young children and live above the first floor.

Medical grounds

Where the existing housing conditions are detrimental to the applicant or their family's health then such circumstances will be taken into account. Points can be awarded for each member of your household whose medical condition is made worse by your housing. Applications for priority on health grounds are considered at meetings of the Council's medical panel.

Welfare and Special Needs

Where a household consists of, or includes someone with a particular special need, an application can be awarded points in recognition of that need.

Additional preference

Additional preference points will be awarded if you have a reasonable preference and you need housing urgently because of a life-threatening situation, for example because of domestic violence or racial harassment.

Financial resources

The Council will take into account if you are able to resolve your housing difficulties through the private rented market or through purchasing another home. Therefore, the Council will take into account your income, assets and savings to decide whether you should have priority under the scheme for financial resources.

Local connection

The Council recognises that local people have a priority for housing over those that live outside of the district. If you have lived in the district for more than 6 months or have lived in the district previously, you will be awarded more points than someone who does not live in the area but has a local connection through another source, such as family or employment connection.

Tenancy conduct

If you are a tenant of the Council or a housing association or a private landlord, or if you have previously been a tenant, we will look into how you conducted your tenancy, including your history of rent payments. If you have a poor tenancy record, you will not be awarded additional points.