Common Allocations Policy April 2025

Applicant's choice

When you make an application for housing you will be able to choose:

• the CHR partner(s) that you would prefer to be your landlord(s)
• the areas that you would most like to live in
• the property types that you would most like to live in

We will not put any limits on the number of areas that you can choose, however your choices of property type and location may be affected by specific issues or circumstances.

Examples of where your choices could be restricted include:

• if you have a medical recommendation/requirement for a specific type of property
• if an antisocial behaviour order prohibits you from accessing a particular area
• the amount of housing stock in an area

We can provide you with information about the stock held by all partners, so that you can make informed choices when selecting your preferred areas that maximise your opportunities for housing. This information can be supplied by the Housing Options Team on request.

Note on selecting areas of choice

It is important that you carefully consider the areas that you would like to live in taking account of things like:

• how close it is to your place of work or your children's school
• the availability of public transport at the times you would need it
• whether key local services like shops, a chemist or a post office are available

Whilst it is useful to select a range of areas to maximise your chances of receiving an offer of housing, there is no point in selecting an area that you really don't want to live in or which would create difficulties for you for reasons like those listed above. 

House size (number of bedrooms)

We will register your application on the housing list according to the type and size of property that you require. This helps us to make sure that each property is let to an applicant that will make the best use of the stock that becomes available.

We will work out the number of bedrooms that you require using the following criteria, based on who will be living permanently with you in the household.

*A Family is defined as a couple or a single parent (male or female) with at least one child.

*Please note it is only possible to be on one waiting list at a time so single people and couples will have to choose whether they want to be on the one-bedroom or two-bedroom waiting list.

The exception to this is where you are willing to consider a bedsit, you can be on the waiting list for a bedsit and a one-bedroom property simultaneously. Couples will only be allocated a bedsit if they have selected this property type on their application form. Single people may be allocated a bedsit even if they have not selected this option.

We will make common sense exceptions to these rules, depending on individual circumstances.

For example:

• if you require an additional bedroom on medical grounds
• if you have been pre-approved to provide foster care or to adopt children, we will provide one additional bedroom if required
• if you have access to children who do not reside with you on a full-time basis, we will provide one additional bedroom if required; see note for further information
• if you or a member of your household is pregnant and can provide us with proof of pregnancy from someone independent like a doctor or midwife, the unborn baby will be included in terms of the number of bedroom required
• if there is a significant age-gap between same-sex siblings who are sharing a bedroom; a significant age gap is normally considered to be 10 years or more

We will ask you to provide further information in support of your application if you request larger accommodation than we would normally allocate within the CAP.

If we make you an offer of housing that has one more bedroom than you need, we will provide you with information and advice to enable you to make an informed decision and choice about how you will manage to pay for your home financially. It is really important that you consider this information as you could be at risk of financial hardship which could result in the loss of your home.

Note about access to children
An additional bedroom will only usually be awarded if there is overnight access for at least 50% of the week. We will ask for confirmation of this from both parents/guardians.

Note about single applicants
Single applicants can ask to be on the two-bedroom waiting list but this is not an automatic right and will be at the discretion of the Officer assessing the case. The default position for single applicants is to be added to the bedsit and one-bedroom waiting list.

Older person's housing

The main type of housing provided by the partners is general needs housing. However, we also provide housing with support and housing with particular design features such as:

• Very-sheltered housing
  This type of housing is designed to meet the needs of people who are aged 60 years or over who require support to live independently. The service on offer has all the features of sheltered housing along with additional support and meal provision. To apply for very-sheltered housing, a medical self-assessment must be completed and you need to:
  • normally be aged 60 years or over or with a recognised disability
  • be assessed as needing the additional support and meal provision that very sheltered housing offers to allow you to continue living independently in the community
• Sheltered housing
  Sheltered housing properties allow older people to retain a high degree of independence within their home. Services include staff on site Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 4.15pm, to offer help, deal with any health and safety issues and respond to community alarms calls. There is a compulsory emergency mobile response service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. To apply for sheltered housing, a medical self-assessment must be completed and you need to:
  • normally be aged 60 years or over or with a recognised disability
  • be assessed as needing the additional support that sheltered housing offers to allow you to continue living independently in the community

If you are applying as a couple, only one of you need to meet the criteria listed above.

Sheltered housing is not restricted to those aged over 60 years and the partners recognise that in some cases there are people of all ages who would benefit from this type of housing.

If you make an application for very sheltered or sheltered housing, you will be assessed by the Housing Options Team and Older Person's Housing Teams to identify if this housing is suitable for you and the level of priority to be awarded.

• Retirement housing
  Similar to sheltered housing, retirement housing has staff on site Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 12.30pm, to offer help, deal with any health and safety issues and respond to community alarm calls. There is a compulsory emergency response service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can make an application for retirement housing if:
  • you are aged 60 years or over or with a recognised disability
  • you need more manageable accommodation with security

If you make an application for retirement housing, you will be assessed by the Housing Options Team to identify if this housing is suitable for you and the level of priority to be awarded.

• Amenity housing
  Amenity housing is available for older people or people with a recognised disability. You can make an application for amenity housing if:
  • you are aged over 50 years
  • have a medical condition and would benefit from the features of this type of accommodation

If you make an application for retirement or amenity housing, you will be assessed by the Housing Options Team to identify if this housing is suitable for you and the level of priority to be awarded.

Please note that there is a separate application process for Very-sheltered/Sheltered/Retirement housing. If you are interested in this type of housing, please contact the Housing Options Team at Pullar House, 35 Kinnoull Street Perth or by calling 01738 476000.