We have an agreement with Penwith District Council that they have ‘nomination rights’ for all our new homes in Penwith. The agreement for existing properties is that 75% of our annual vacancies will be let to applicants on the Councils Housing Register. The remaining 25% will be let to our own tenants who have a need to transfer.
As our homes become available they are let to people who are considered to have the highest level of housing need under the respective Housing Register schemes i.e. West Cornwall Affordable Housing Register, Carrick Housing Choice or Homefinder Direct.
We have a close working partnership with the housing option teams at the local councils and are fully committed to the continued operation and development of Choice Based Lettings.
Offers of housing
Before we offer a tenancy a home visit is carried out by a Neighbourhood Officer to check the details given on your application and to ensure that the property is suitable for your needs. We will not normally offer a tenancy to anyone who has been evicted by a council or housing association within the last two years, nor anyone who owes us a debt.
Where you and your partner have made a joint application you will be required to accept a joint tenancy. For general needs properties we offer a probationary tenancy for the first 12 months. If, after 12 months, there have been no breaches of tenancy such as rent arrears or anti-social behaviour then the tenancy becomes an Assured tenancy.
If the probationary tenancy is breached then the association does not have to get a court order to end the tenancy. The Neighbourhood and Income Recovery Officers closely monitor the tenancies to ensure that conditions of tenancy are not broken.
We need to ensure that the homes we offer are the right type and size to meet your needs and homes are usually offered as follows:
- Studio flat: single person
- 1 bedroom: single person or couple
- 2 bedroom: parent(s) with 1 or 2 children
- 3 bedroom: parent(s) with 3 children or boy & girl if one is over 7
- 4 bedroom: parent(s) with 4 + children
Properties designated for elderly people will usually be offered only to applicants over the age of 60.
Properties designed for wheelchairs or with other special facilities will only be offered to applicants with a household member who needs them.
Our fair lettings procedure
- no decisions will be made by one PHA officer on their own
- applicants will be informed of the likely outcome of their application at each stage
- applicants will be offered help to complete forms and provide supporting information
- our decisions will be based on applicants housing needs not personal judgements
- the use of management transfers and the option to give over-riding priority are strictly monitored to ensure that they are not blocking access to association homes.
Equal opportunities
PHA is committed to providing equal treatment to everyone, both as a landlord and as an employer. Our lettings policy is subject to our equal opportunities policy. This ensures that no-one applying for housing suffers discrimination, either direct or indirect, due to their race, creed, sexuality, gender, age, lifestyle or marital status.
Applicants and tenants have a right to lodge complaints against us in the county court in cases of race and gender. There is a six month time limit from the date of the alleged offence. Applicants and tenants also have a right to bring complaints before the Commission for Racial Equality and the Equal Opportunities Commission.
To ensure we let homes on a fair basis and do not discriminate in any way we ask applicants to tell us their ethnic origin. This helps us monitor our policies and procedures for selecting tenants to ensure no-one loses out because of discrimination.
Are you linked to a housing association?
Laws affecting housing associations place strict controls on our ability to grant tenancies to committee members, employees or their close relatives. You will be asked to disclose any such relationship at the time of the home visit.
Your records
All tenants can see their personal file if they give us written notice. Housing register applicants should put the request in writing to the council. Confidential information provided by others (e.g. doctors) will be removed before the file is made available. If you think the file contains inaccuracies you can correct the errors or ask us to remove them. We are required in law to provide information we hold to the council to assist it with its legal housing duties.
Monitoring
As an organisation we are monitored and regulated by the Housing Corporation and we have to meet targets called key performance indicators.
If you don’t like our decision
If you are unhappy with the way the Housing Register’s Allocations Policy and Banding Scheme is managed you may appeal in writing to Penwith District Council in accordance with the appeals procedure.
If you are unhappy with any decision made concerning your transfer application or have a complaint about how you have been treated by the association you may use our complaints procedure (leaflets are available in all PHA offices or on request). If you are still unhappy you can appeal about us to the official Housing Association Ombudsman (leaflet also available in all PHA offices).
For further information on our services and policies please telephone us on: 01736 331799
