Waiting list or Private rent. What do you think!

lifesuckssometimes

As the title what do you think... Is it worth staying on the waiting list/bidding. or just go Private ?????

Jowo_2

Are you a priority for social housing, according to the band that you are in?

Many choice based letting sites show stats for how many bids they receive, the band it is awarded to and sometimes how long a person has been registered on the list. What's the demand like for the type of property and area you've been applying for?

In my area, virtually all the available housing (except perhaps studio flats on terrible estates, go to high priority bands and anything up to 350 bids are placed. A pers)on on a mid-band could bid for years and never get anything.

Where I lived previously, a person can walk into social housing the same week as long as they don't mind a high rise flat on a deprived estate but could never hope to get anything nice in a good area unless they were homeless or disabled (i.e. in high priority).

SouthCoast

The City of Brighton & Hove has allocated one property to a Band D applicant in the last year:

http://www.homemove.org.uk/uploads/BRHhomemove.pdf

lifesuckssometimes

Jowo wrote: »

Are you a priority for social housing, according to the band that you are in?

Many choice based letting sites show stats for how many bids they receive, the band it is awarded to and sometimes how long a person has been registered on the list. What's the demand like for the type of property and area you've been applying for?

In my area, virtually all the available housing (except perhaps studio flats on terrible estates, go to high priority bands and anything up to 350 bids are placed. A pers)on on a mid-band could bid for years and never get anything.

Where I lived previously, a person can walk into social housing the same week as long as they don't mind a high rise flat on a deprived estate but could never hope to get anything nice in a good area unless they were homeless or disabled (i.e. in high priority).

Band c waiting only since 2006 but looking for 3 bed house,

chickencurry

Depends what council you are with? If its hermitage / portsmouth we have been waiting for 9 yrs for a 3 bed and still dont have one ...............
We are in band c

SouthCoast

chickencurry wrote: »

Depends what council you are with? If its hermitage / portsmouth we have been waiting for 9 yrs for a 3 bed and still dont have one ...............
We are in band c

You must be getting near the top.
The Band C waiting list for Brighton and Hove is just over 12 years.

lifesuckssometimes

SouthCoast wrote: »

You must be getting near the top.
The Band C waiting list for Brighton and Hove is just over 12 years.

Christ 12 years :eek:

Jowo_2

lifesuckssometimes wrote: »

Band c waiting only since 2006 but looking for 3 bed house,

Yes, but how many bids are properties of this size attracting, what's the turnover like and how many band C people are getting 3 beds - are they tending to go to higher bands?

Is it the case that family sized property is under great demand in your area? In the areas where I've lived been the type of property that most desirable and where there is a shortage of availability. Typically there are much lower bids for flats and high-rises and hundreds made for a house.

Have you spoken to the council housing department to get an understanding of probable waiting times?

Are you currently in social housing and have applied for a larger property?

neas

What does Band C mean? and 12 years is a long time... there no way you could save 50 quid a month over 12 years? which would come to 8000 pound or so for a deposit for ahouse.... that you'd own?

Jowo_2

Though each social landlord body may have slightly different bandings and definitions, here's a sample one that's fairly common.

Band A (Emergency and Top Priority)
medical priority, homeless, existing social housing tenants whose property became uninhabitable, etc.

Band B (Urgent need to move)
- nominated by social services, overcrowded, high medical need, threatened with homelessness.

Band C (Identified housing need)
- homeless who have been in temporary accommodation for more than 2 years, those needing sheltered housing and the following kinds of things

Identified Housing Need
This includes:

Lacking one or more bedrooms. A single person living in a bedsit or studio flat is not considered to be lacking a bedroom.
Lacking or sharing facilities (kitchen/living room/bathroom) with another household.
Medical need (recommended by the Council’s Medical Adviser).
Home too large (households qualifying for the Incentive to Move scheme will be in Band A).
Private sector tenants where the property is in poor condition and an Environmental Health Officer has stated there will be a delay in taking enforcement action for substantial disrepair.
Families unable to live together because of a genuine lack of accommodation.
Private sector tenants who have received Notice to quit or a possession order, but do not have a priority need.
Households with children under 10 living in a flat above the 4th floor.
Households with two members (where one is aged 10 or over) sharing a single bedroom.
Any other exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Head of Housing.

Band D (all other applicants)

•All other applicants for housing who do not have an identified housing need.


•Applicants who have unreasonably refused two suitable offers.


•Applicants living outside the Borough.


•Owner occupiers without an over-riding medical need to move.


http://www.kingston.gov.uk/browse/housing/choice_based_lettings/priority_bands_for_rehousing.htm

I-Owe-You

Im in the same predicament, left home to move in with my partner (im in my mid 20s)

Cannot get social housing for love nor money (in London) and have been on the waiting list since I was 18. I now have to pay £840 pcm for a 2nd floor one bedroom flat in a not particuarly nice area, plus 1200 a year in council tax...(& we are supposedly in keyworker "cheaper rent" flats!)

People I went to school with have (perhaps irresponcibly??) fallen pregnant out of relationships, are living as a one parent families and had never worked a day in their lives are seemingly better off then me (a nurse on a modest income!) in their council housing which they have obviously been deemed more of a priority for over me.

There is just no incentive for younger people to bother to work nowadays unless you are earning 28K plus. Appart from having my pride, working does not appear to make me any better or worse off than those that see living off of the state benefits as a way of life.

Good luck with your social housing application - if your circumstances are anything like mine, you may be in for a long old wait!