Policy Changes

We have reviewed our Housing Allocations Policy to make sure that we are making best use of the Council’s housing stock. There are some key changes that applicants need to know about. We have put together some information to answer the questions we are often asked when we make changes to this policy. If you would like to find out more, please visit our Housing Register information page.

Financial Means

Applicants will not now qualify to apply for social housing if they have the financial means to meet their own housing need. We define this as the applicant and/or their partner having a greater annual income that the limits set out below, or £16,000 or more in savings.
(The only exception to this is for current or former members of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces who have received a lump sum as compensation.) Annual earnings limits:

  • One-bedroom/studio property £40,000
  • Two-bedroom property £50,000
  • Three-bedroom property £60,000
  • Four-bedroom property £60,000

These limits do not apply to applicants who have a need for supported housing. Supported housing applicants who have a capital of £400,000 will not be eligible to apply.

Overcrowding

  • We have reviewed and updated the Dacorum Bedroom Standard to reflect the changes to the Housing Allocations Policy. Some applicants with children may now receive fewer points, but this remains in line with the government’s bedroom standards.
  • At Dacorum Borough Council, we consider overcrowding to occur when an additional person does not have a bed-space, if one bedroom is allocated to each:
  • Married or co-habiting couple;
  • Adult aged 18 years or more;
  • Pair of children aged 0 - 16 years of the same sex;
    and
  • Pair of children aged 10 years regardless of sex.

Unacceptable Behaviour

Applicants subject to certain legal orders will not be considered to qualify, and will not be accepted on the housing register for a period of one, three or five years.
The serious action or legal proceedings and the timescales when applications will not be accepted include but are not limited to:

  • Current Non-molestation order/ Occupation order (one year)
  • Current Restraining order (five years)

Village Connection

When shortlisting for village properties, we have amended the length of time that the applicant must have lived in the village. The requirements for local connection to Dacorum remain the same, but the residency requirement for village connection has reduced from ten years to a five-year residency within the village at some point in their lifetime.

Supported Housing Moves

  • An existing tenant aged 60 or over in General Needs bedsit or one-bedroom accommodation in Dacorum may apply to move into Supported Housing.