Does anyone know exactly how gold/silver social housing lists work?

FlorayG

My tenant really needs a bigger house now her children are growing but she can't afford a larger private rental so is on the local social housing list. Social services visited and agreed the current property isn't large enough for her family so put her as 'silver' priority on their list
She's been applying for houses for weeks now but tells me she is always number '40 or so' on each application, because there are so many 'gold' (actually homeless) people looking
Now, I clearly understand that people on the 'gold' list should get priority, but I can't see how people on the 'silver' list will EVER get first dibbs on a property with this system. How does it work? the council told her it would take about 6 months to rehouse her, but surely there are new 'gold' people being added to the list every week?

theartfullodger

Which country (eg NI, Wales..)??

Suggest you look at the rules & regulations for the council she is applying to.  Amazingly different councils different rules. 

Might be an expected wait time of year and years....

FlorayG

England... I think years too, but they assured her months
It says " The list sorts applicants by their band and how long they have been waiting" so I don't see how anyone on the silver list can ever get to the top of the applicant list

Schwarzwald

FlorayG said:

England... I think years too, but they assured her months
It says " The list sorts applicants by their band and how long they have been waiting" so I don't see how anyone on the silver list can ever get to the top of the applicant list

Isnt it a points system?
so for example, a Silver applicant with 50 weeks waiting might top a Gold applicant with only 1 week.

FlorayG

Schwarzwald said:

FlorayG said:

England... I think years too, but they assured her months
It says " The list sorts applicants by their band and how long they have been waiting" so I don't see how anyone on the silver list can ever get to the top of the applicant list

Isnt it a points system?
so for example, a Silver applicant with 50 weeks waiting might top a Gold applicant with only 1 week.

I don't know, the information doesn't say, I was hoping there would be somebody on here who has gone through the process or works for a council and knows how people are scored

powerspowers

It’ll be a slog but she should see herself moving up the list, she just needs to keep bidding. 

It depends on the availability of different sized property as well, in my area there’s a fair amount of 3 beds but 4 beds are few and far between. The council are unlikely to let someone willingly move into a property they are under or over occupying. They will say that children under 10 should share and same-sex children under 16 should share. 

She needs to be patient. Alternatively you could evict them but that seems wrong to me. 

luvchocolate

Also try putting name on housing association property list. 
Ours does 50% to council waiting lists and 50% to their own 

CosmicDaisy

Each authority have different systems with different terms. Not all use silver or gold banding, some use band 1, 2, 3, and 4, some have band A, B, C etc.  The systems usually use algorithms which place people depending upon their level of priority so the person on the list longest gets higher scores. The best way is to approach the authority and ask an explanation of their bidding system. My sister was band 2 which is highest priority for disabled and waited just over 3 years for a property. She was told it could take over 10 years to find a place.

FlorayG

powerspowers said:

She needs to be patient. Alternatively you could evict them but that seems wrong to me. 

Evicting people is not a simple affair, and anyway she's a good tenant

Marcon

powerspowers said:

It’ll be a slog but she should see herself moving up the list, she just needs to keep bidding. 

It depends on the availability of different sized property as well, in my area there’s a fair amount of 3 beds but 4 beds are few and far between. The council are unlikely to let someone willingly move into a property they are under or over occupying. They will say that children under 10 should share and same-sex children under 16 should share. 

She needs to be patient. Alternatively you could evict them but that seems wrong to me. 

It's also completely misguided. Just because someone is homeless through no fault of their own doesn't magically conjure up a suitable property. The tenant could end up in b&b 'emergency' accommodation for many months, or be offered something in a totally different part of the country depending on how her local authority deals with such cases.