The Highland Council, along with partner housing associations in Highland, has developed a Common Housing Register called the Highland Housing Register, which will be operational from 6 May 2008.
What is a Common Housing Register (CHR)?
Common Housing Registers (CHRs) represent an innovative approach to housing allocations. Basically, a CHR is a group of landlords devising a single housing application form by which anyone seeking housing in their area can register their need and say what housing they want.
Participating landlords then prioritise and select housing applicants from this one housing list.
Within a CHR, applicants complete a single, shared application form and they can then be considered for housing by all social landlords (that is the Council and landlords like Housing Associations) with properties in that area. This makes the process of applying for housing easier, simpler and fairer.
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Why do we need a CHR?
Social housing - that is housing provided by Councils and Housing Associations or similar - is provided by a far greater number and range of organisations than ever before. That means it can be difficult to know who to apply to for housing and one person may need to apply to 3 or 4 (or more!) different landlords.
At the moment, each landlord has its own housing application form and most keep their own waiting list. Applicants need to find out about - and apply separately to - all the different landlords offering housing in their area. This can be very difficult and confusing for some people.
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What are the benefits of a CHR?
For applicants
CHRs provide simpler and fairer access to housing than current systems, under which applicants need to apply separately to a large (and increasing) number of landlords.
For existing tenants
A CHR can help tenants to move when they need to, allowing social landlords to meet the needs and aspirations of existing tenants and make the best use of their properties.
For applicants and tenants alike
The creation of a CHR will deliver greater choice of landlords, housing areas and house types, contributing to sustainable neighbourhoods.
For local authorities and other social landlords
The creation of a single list of people actively seeking housing within a given area - both as first-time applicants and tenants seeking to transfer - provides a more accurate estimate of housing need than a system of many waiting lists with unknown levels of duplication. A single waiting list can also help in strategic planning within the housing market area, assisting the local authority to ensure that housing needs are being effectively assessed and met, under duties introduced in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.
A CHR improves use of the social housing stock. Within a single list of applicants, there is greater scope for making successful 'matches' between applicants for housing and the properties that are vacant. A CHR can help make social landlords more efficient.
Operating a shared system reduces duplication of work by staff in different organisations. Given that the cost of administration of the applications and assessment process is met from rental income, housing agencies have a responsibility to tenants to ensure efficiency. A CHR can also help to cut the time it takes to let houses.
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Who are the Registered Social Landlords in Highland?
There are currently 11 Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) operating in the Highland area:
Highland Council, Albyn Housing Society, Pentland Housing Association, Lochalsh & Skye Housing Association and Lochaber Housing Association operate exclusively within the Highland area.
The others are RSLs who operate all over Scotland. Of these, Cairn Housing Association has a significant amount of stock in the Highland area, and Link, Key, Hanover, Trust (formerly Kirk Care) and Margaret Blackwood housing associations have limited stock throughout Highland.
Other than Lochaber Housing Association, which does not maintain a waiting list but allocates through the Council’s list, all maintain their own waiting lists and have different forms to complete on application.
You can get more information on these Housing Associations, including details of how to contact them and where they have houses, on their own web sites or in the Housing Options Manual.
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What is the legislative background to CHRs?
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 does not make CHRs mandatory, but Section 8 sets out powers which require local authorities to submit proposals for establishing and maintaining a CHR. Within this power there is also an implied duty on registered social landlords (RSLs) to participate in local CHRs.
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What progress has been made so far in Highland?
The Highland Council and its partner organisations have drawn up a:
We have also translated the allocations policy, information leaflet and guidance notes into Polish and Latvian.
The allocations policy was approved by Housing and Social Work Committee in March 2008.
The Highland Housing Register is now operational.
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Who do I contact for further information?
You can get an application form from any Council Service Point, Area Housing and Property office or offices of the partner housing associations.
If you have any queries on the progress of your application, you should contact the office to which you returned your form.
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