Your Questions Answered

Why has Dacorum Borough Council reviewed its Housing Allocations Policy?

  • It is a legal requirement that this policy should be reviewed at least every four years.
  • We always make sure that we follow good practice and make best use of our housing stock in relation to the current housing climate, affordability and applicants’ access to housing.
  • We need to change our Housing Allocations Policy from time to time to make sure that people in need of housing are able to access our available stock in a fair and proportionate way.

When will the reviewed policy be in place?

  • We aim to implement the changes on the 4 July 2022. 

Will you notify me of changes to my application?

  • We always encourage all applicants to log into their application regularly.  This will allow you to review any changes that the team makes to your points.
  • Once your application has been reassessed we will write to you to confirm your points and any changes made.

Will my points change? 

  • All applications will be reviewed and it is likely that your current number of points will change in line with the new policy.
  • You can find all the changes to the way we award points on our Housing Allocations Policy Review web page

Why have my pre-tenancy training points been removed?

  • We have removed these points from applications because our pre-tenancy training course is now a compulsory part of the application process for everyone aged under 60.
  • We no longer award any points for completing the training because everyone under 60 has to do it.
  • If you have been shortlisted for a property that you have bid on, we will send you a link to our online pre-tenancy training course, which you must complete as part of the shortlisting process.

Why do I no longer have 'length of time' on the Housing Register Points?

  • We have removed these points from all applications because the Housing Register is not a waiting list to be housed, so we will not award additional points for the length of time an applicant has been active on the housing register.
  • If two applicants with the same amount of points bid on a property, the applicant who has been registered the longest will be given priority.

How many points will I get if I am under-occupying my property?

  • 30 points per bedroom if you wish to downsize to a General Needs property
  • 50 points per bedroom if you wish to downsize to a Supported Housing property

My bedroom entitlement has changed, why is this?

  • We have changed the Dacorum Bedroom Standard to reflect changes in demand for different sizes of property. Previously, a pair of children regardless of sex would be entitled to a room each from 5 years old, but this has now changed to age 10 years. 
    • For example: A household living in a two bedroomed property consisting of a mother, and two children, one boy aged 5 and one girl aged 7, could previously have applied either for a three bedroom property under the Dacorum Bedroom Standard.
    • They have a two-bedroom need according to the government’s bedroom standards. 
  • All changes have been made to align with the Housing Benefit Regulations and Government Bedroom Standards
  • We always aim to make best use of our housing stock considering the demand in the local area.

I no longer have any points for Children in Flats without a lift, why is this? 

  • If your application included 10 points for Children aged nine years or younger in flats where no lift was available, and you have no other identifiable housing need, we have removed these points. You now must have an additional identifiable housing need for these points to be awarded. 

I am in temporary accommodation, in a property first floor and above without a lift with children aged five. Why do I not receive the children in flats points?

  • Placements into temporary accommodation are not through choice, and rely on what stock is available at the time for use as temporary accommodation.
  • To make it fair for all of those in temporary accommodation, you will now receive temporary accommodation points, but no Children in Flats points.

I am living in a room in a shared house - House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). What points am I entitled to?

  • A household that is residing in a House in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) will be awarded 15 points

I am aged 60 (or older), living in a one-bedroom General Needs flat and want to move to Supported Housing. What points will I receive?

  • An existing Council tenant aged 60 or over living in a General Needs bedsit or one-bedroom accommodation in Dacorum who wishes to move into Supported Housing will receive 25 Points

What local connection is required to be able to bid on village properties?

  • You must meet the standard local connection to Dacorum criteria as set out in the Allocations Policy, plus at least one of the following:
    • A five-year residency within the village at some point in your lifetime;
    • Family connection where an immediate family member (parents, children, siblings) who are over the age of 18 and has continuously been a resident within the village for ten years immediately preceding the date of application;
    • Currently in permanent employment within the village boundary, consisting of 16 hours a week or more, and which has been continuous for at least the last 24 months.

I have bid on a property with the right number of bedrooms to meet my housing need, but the Housing Needs team reviewed my bid and advised that this would not be suitable for me, why is this?

  • The Housing Allocations Policy states that in sensitive cases, whilst an applicant is able to bid, the Council has the right to review and approve the bid. If you are unsure why this is, please contact the team or check any correspondence sent to you.

What if I am not happy with the Council's decision?