WHAT IS THE SOCIAL HOUSING REGISTER? |
DO I QUALIFY? |
HOW DO I JOIN THE HOUSING REGISTER? |
DO I HAVE TO RENEW MY APPLICATION? |
REMOVAL FROM THE REGISTER? |
HOUSING APPLICATION PROCESS |
WHAT IS THE SOCIAL HOUSING REGISTER?
The Social Housing Register is a list of all applicants currently not in council or association property who have been assessed as eligible. The Council of the Isles of Scilly uses a point-based system, in which points are awarded based on the applicants level of housing need. Please check the criteria below to see if you can qualify to be placed on our housing register.
DO I QUALIFY FOR THE HOUSING REGISTER?
Qualifying persons are those that are:
- Aged over 18, or
- Aged 16—18 and supported by Social Services, or a Parent, or a married couple or a child in need as defined by the Children Act 1989. Anyone aged between 16 and 18 will required a guarantor if an offer of accommodation is made
- Anyone with an evidencable local connection via:
- Residency - where the applicant has been resident on the islands for 2.5 out of the last 3 years immediately prior to applying to join the housing register
- OR
- Employment in the islands - where the applicant or member of their household is currently employed in the islands and is required to reside within then islands to fulfil said employment
- Members of the Armed Forces who lived on the Islands for a minimum of 2.5 years of the 3 years immediately before their marriage
- Spouses of the Armed Forces who lived on the island for 2.5 years out of the 3 years immediately before their marriage
- Students temporarily absent from the islands for the sole purpose of taking a recognised course of education not available on the Islands are deemed to be resident on the islands during their temporary absence provided the student was ordinarily resident on the islands for the qualifying time of 2.5 out of the previous years immediately prior to commencement of the educational course and for up to 24 months after completion of said course, providing it can be evidenced that this is required to gain necessary experience linked to their chosen field of education before returning to the islands
Non qualifying persons are:
- Persons subject to immigration controls under the Asylum & Immigration Act 1996
- Persons from abroad not habitually resident in the UK, the republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
- Anyone evicted from any Council house or Housing Association Tenancy for anti-social behaviour
- Persons with current rent arrears in excess of £50.00.
- Any persons with a proven history of violence or abuse against either Council Members or employees.
- Any persons convicted of damage to or misuse of Council Property
- Persons with current rent arrears in excess of double their current monthly rent. Where rent arrears do exist, evidence of re-payment plan must be in place and not defaulted on for a minimum of 6 months. Exceptional circumstances will be considered providing suitable evidence is provided.
- Former owner occupiers who have disposed of their residential properties other than through demonstrable need.
- All property owners and any persons with an interest in a residential property i.e. joint ownership other than where there is a demonstrable need e.g. high medical priority and negative or low equity.
- Any single persons or couple application with a household income of £65,000 pa or higher and/or savings over £50,000
- Any joint application for family accommodation (those requiring two or more bedrooms) with a household income of £75,000 pa or higher and/or savings over £65,000
- Any person giving incomplete or false information in support of their application.
- Persons removed from the register within the previous 12 months.
HOW DO I JOIN THE HOUSING REGISTER?
To join the Isles of Scilly Housing Register you need to first check that you or your partner qualify. Once you have done this you and/or your partner must fill out the Housing Register application form. These can be requested via the Housing team or obtained through the Housing Forms & Policies Page.
IF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE you must notify the Housing Officer as soon as possible.
DO I HAVE TO RENEW MY APPLICATION?
Yes. You need to renew your application each year.
The Council will send you a renewal form to complete every April, followed by a further three reminders over a 2-month period following.
Failure to return the renewal form within 7 days of the final reminder notification will result in your application being cancelled except in exceptional circumstances
Because we send out these letters to the address or email that we have on file, it is important to ensure we have your most recent information. If you have moved at any point during the year, you must notify the Housing team in order for your records to be updated.
You may be removed from the Register if:
- You or your partner become a non qualifying person as stated in categories 1 to 10 of Section 1 – Who can join the Register
- You refuse one offer of suitable accommodation
- You fail to return a renewal form within 1 calendar month of the final reminder letter
- You are found to have provided false information
Properties are let in accordance with the point scheme which awards points for housing need. Those in the greatest housing need receive the greater number of points and are housed as suitable accommodation becomes available. Once a property becomes available the Housing Department will make a formal offer of accommodation in writing with details of the property and how to respond. This offer is made to the applicant(s) at the top of the relevant register. Please note that the Housing Officer can use their discretion to place someone lower down of the list based on suitability of the property and the applicant(s). In order to ensure that our properties do not stand empty for long periods of time, we may not give you long between receiving your formal offer and the tenancy starting, normally three working days.
If you refuse a suitable offer without good reason, your application will not normally be considered again for at least 12 months. If you refuse a second offer your application will be removed from the housing Register. A suitable offer consists of a property appropriate in size for your family.