Durham Key Options

A+

(High Priority Need)

Applicants within this band are eligible for all properties via the choice based lettings scheme, providing the property entitlement criteria is met, where applicants are residing in:

• A regeneration scheme within County Durham

A

(High  Housing Need)

• Urgent medical reasons
• Supply and demand transfers

Urgent medical cases are given priority over supply and demand transfers

B+

(Multiple Housing Need)

Applicants with two or more housing needs (detailed in B) where at least one is in the following preference groups:

• Homeless applicants accepted as statutorily homeless with a full duty to be housed under part 7 of the Housing Act due to violence or threat of violence.
• Applicants who need to move due to high medical need
• Applicants overcrowded by at least two bedrooms

Band B

(Multiple Housing Need)

Applicants with two or more housing needs from the following preference groups:

• Homeless applicants accepted as statutorily homeless with a full duty to be housed under part 7 of the Housing Act
• Applicants occupying unsanitary, overcrowded (one bedroom short of requirements) or otherwise unsatisfactory housing.
• Applicants who need to move due to medical or welfare grounds.
• Applicants who need to move to a particular locality to avoid hardship.

Band C+

(General Housing Need)

Applicants who fall into one of the following preference groups:

• Applicants who need to move due to high medical need
• applicants overcrowded by at least two bedrooms
• Homeless applicants accepted as statutorily homeless with a full duty to be used under part 7 of the Housing Act 1996
• Applicants living in intensive supported housing where their support plan identifies ability to successfully move into an independent tenancy
• Care leavers.

Band C

(General Housing Need)

Applicants who fall into one of the following preference groups:

• Applicants occupying unsanitary, overcrowded (0ne bedroom short) or otherwise unsatisfactory housing
• Applicants who need to move on medical or welfare grounds
• Applicants who need to move to a particular locality to avoid hardship
• Non statutory homeless

Band D

(Other Housing Need)

Applicants who have a housing need which is not one of the statutory preference groups

• Applicants leaving the armed forces who do not fall within the criteria of the homeless legislation and have served three years or longer or who have been medically discharged.
• Applicants wishing to live independently with no other housing need
• Applicants needing larger accommodation (outside the overcrowding criteria) with no housing need
• Relationship breakdown with no housing need
• Applicants threatened with homelessness within three months in order to prevent homelessness

Band E

(No Priority)

Band F

(Reduced Priority)

Applicants with a reduced priority within the scheme as a consequence of outstanding rent arrears (not caused by exceptional hardship) or unacceptable behaviour.