Housing allocations policy and scheme

Appendix B: Bandings

1. All qualifying applicants will be allocated to one of the following Bands according to their particular circumstances. Subject to exceptional circumstances as set out in section 4.18, applicants in all Bands apart from Band F will require a local connection.

   1. Definitions

      Prevention Duty	Places a duty on housing authorities to work with people who are threatened with homelessness within 56 days to help prevent them from becoming homelessness.
      Relief Duty	When the housing authority is satisfied that the applicant is both homeless and eligible for assistance.  The housing authority is obliged to take reasonable steps to help the applicant secure suitable accommodation with a reasonable prospect that it will be available for their occupation for at least 6 months. The Relief Duty lasts for 56 days.
      Main Duty	Where a housing authority determines that a homeless applicant is homeless, eligible for assistance, in priority need, has a local connection and is not intentionally homeless.

2.  

   On this page

   There are no headings on this page to navigate to.

1. Emergency

   • households in emergency housing need where the authority has a statutory duty to provide housing

2. Band A

   • applicants who are homeless and are owed the Main duty including when the Relief Duty has come to an end and they have been assessed as being eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless, in priority need and have local connection
   • applicants who are homeless and are owed the Relief Duty and would be owed or likely to be owed the Main duty when the Relief Duty came to an end, because they are or are likely to be in priority need and unintentionally homeless
   • applicants who are threatened with homelessness and are owed the Prevention Duty on the basis of a valid legal court notice and would be likely to be owed the Main duty if both the Prevention Duty and any Relief Duty that followed on were to end unsuccessfully and they would be, or would likely to be, found to be in priority need and unintentionally homeless
   • where Great Yarmouth Borough Council require households to permanently move to alternative accommodation to allow redevelopment, regeneration, or demolition to be undertaken or due to a prohibition order
   • under-occupation by two or more bedrooms by a tenant of Great Yarmouth Borough Council
   • use and occupation following the death of the tenant, occupiers of Great Yarmouth Borough Council dwellings who either do not have succession rights or a non-statutory succession cannot be granted as the current property would be under-occupied or considered unsuitable. Following notice served by a tenant and an assignment cannot be granted to the remaining occupants
     • applicants will be entitled to one suitable offer of accommodation
   • urgent medical or social welfare need where the applicant's (or member of their household who is moving with them) condition is currently directly affected by their accommodation and an urgent move is needed to have a positive effect on their medical condition, or where as a result of their condition their current accommodation is not suitable to their needs
     • an investigation will be carried out
     • for Urgent Medical Need it is generally expected that the property cannot reasonably be occupied as the applicant is either unable to use or has serious difficulty using an essential part of the property, for example, the WC, and the property cannot be adapted
   • resettlement - applicants have been assessed as ready to move from hostel or other temporary supported accommodation into settled accommodation. Where appropriate, arrangements will be made for tenancy support

3. Band B

   • applicants who are threatened with homelessness and are owed the Prevention Duty (with no valid legal notice) and would be likely to be owed the Main duty if both the Prevention Duty and any Relief Duty that followed on were to end unsuccessfully and they would be, or would likely to be, found to be in priority need and unintentionally homeless
   • applicants who are threatened with homelessness or are homeless and this is not intentional, but are not considered to be in priority need
   • serious disrepair and/or insanitary accommodation where the Council has deemed the applicant's home to have the presence of Category 1 Hazards, Bands A - C under the Housing Health & Safety Rating System and these Hazards cannot be resolved or reduced to a Category 2 Hazard within six months of a notice being served
     • in the case of a caravan or mobile home, the accommodation will have been found to be prejudicial to health under the Environmental Protection Act 1990
   • high medical or social welfare need where the applicant's (or member of their household who is moving with them) condition is currently directly affected by their accommodation and a move is needed to have a positive effect on their condition, or where as a result of their condition their current accommodation is detrimental to health and wellbeing. An investigation will be carried out
   • overcrowding and requiring two or more additional bedrooms - assessments will be based on the bedroom entitlement in Appendix D. Lodgers will not be included in the assessment
   • under-occupation by one bedroom by a tenant of Great Yarmouth Borough Council

4. Band C

   • applicants who are threatened with homelessness or are homeless, who are in priority need and who will be or are intentionally homeless
   • reducing re-offending - applicants due to be released from prison where a personal housing plan has been undertaken and a support package is in place
   • moderate medical or social welfare need where the applicant's (or member of their household who is moving with them) condition is currently directly affected by their accommodation and a move is needed to have a positive effect on their condition, or where as a result of their condition their current accommodation is not suitable to their needs
   • financial hardship - where the applicant has insufficient finances to be able to maintain living in their current accommodation
   • disrepair and/or insanitary accommodation where the Council has deemed the applicant's home to have the Presence of Category 2 Hazards, Band D under the Housing Health & Safety Rating System and these Hazards cannot be resolved
   • overcrowding where there is a need for one additional bedroom - assessments will be based on the bedroom entitlement in Appendix D. Lodgers will not be included in the assessment
   • sharing essential facilities such as bathroom, toilet or kitchen with family or friends and requiring independent accommodation

5. Band D

   • applicants who are threatened with homelessness or are homeless, who are not in priority need and who will be or are intentionally homeless
   • give or receive support from close family members and/or move closer to local facilities - where not having a move would result in serious detriment
   • low medical or social welfare need where the applicant's (or member of their household who is moving with them) condition is currently directly affected by their accommodation and a move is needed to have a positive effect on their condition, or where as a result of their condition their current accommodation is not suitable to their needs
   • sharing essential facilities such as bathroom, toilet or kitchen with a separate household (not including parents and children)

6. Band E

   • applicant who is unable to access accommodation to meet their housing need in the open market, i.e. do not meet the criteria in Bands Emergency A, B, C or D
   • applicant for low-cost home ownership accommodation

7. Band F

   • applicant is not deemed to have a local connection but identified to be within the class of person set out in section 13.1 (and where there are no exceptional circumstances as set out in section 4.18)