A NEW policy is to be introduced by Bradford Council to help those in greatest need of social housing be placed into homes more quickly in the future.

The Council’s social housing allocations policy is being updated to reflect a changing local and national context, following “extensive” consultation.

The current policy has four bands relating to people’s circumstances and which currently take priority when homes are being allocated.

The proposed, revised, policy shows six bands, with band one being the highest priority and band six being the lowest.

The two new bands have been added due to the introduction of a local connection criteria, which favours applicants with a link to the district over those from other areas of the country.

The Council says it will also help to deal with some of the impacts of the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017, which comes into effect in April 2018.

The revised policy will also take into account Council aims, such as awarding greater priority to Armed Services personnel, victims of domestic violence, foster carers and care-leavers as well as those discharged from hospital.

Members of the Armed Forces will be placed in the highest need band and their waiting time will be backdated in line with their length of service.

The Armed Forces Covenant was set up in 2012 with the intention of forging closer ties between the Council, its partners and the Armed Forces

community.

Councillor Joanne Dodds, Bradford Council’s Armed Forces champion, said: “We take the aims of the Armed Forces Covenant very seriously and I am very pleased that the length of service will now become a factor when seeking housing for military personnel and their families.”

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s executive member for Regeneration, Housing, Planning and Transport, said: “I am pleased with the revised policy which should lead to quicker rehousing for those individuals and families who have the greatest need.

“We’re also bringing in two new bands to help stop people becoming homeless and give greater priority to local applicants from within Bradford district.

“We know these are big priorities for people in Bradford.”

Bradford Council’s executive will be asked to approve the revised housing allocations policy, which determines the measures used for deciding how people are prioritised for social housing, when it meets later this month.