Banding summary

Homelessness – S193 Main Duty

Applicants who have been assessed by Solihull Council to be eligible, homeless unintentionally, in priority need, and have a local connection to Solihull Council, and therefore owed the S193 main housing duty of the Housing Act 1996.

Managed bid or direct offer

Overcrowding – three+ bedrooms

Applicants who are assessed as requiring an additional three bedrooms based on the bedroom standard will be awarded a Band A. This will be awarded except where there is evidence that the applicant has deliberately caused the overcrowding.

6 months time-limited review

Dangerous or hazardous housing conditions 

Households living in conditions which give rise to an imminent risk of serious harm and where the Council has served a Prohibition Order under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004.

Where the Council has determined that a private sector property (tenanted) contains one or more serious Category 1 hazards as defined by the Housing Health & Safety Rating System that is having a severe impact on the household, and where there is no prospect of the issues being remedied by the landlord or property owner within the timeframe defined by the Council (after appropriate council enforcement action).

6 months time-limited review

Redevelopment & Clearance

Those who require rehousing due to Solihull clearance, demolition, compulsory purchase order and/or subject to a Solihull Council approved redevelopment, scheme, or property repurposing, or regeneration scheme.

6 months time limited review then direct offer

Very urgent need due to medical or disability

Where the applicant or a household member’s current housing situation (property type or location) is having a significant impact on their medical condition (such as high health or safety risks) requiring very urgent or immediate need to move.

Applicant or household member has an immediate life-threatening or life limiting illness or condition which is seriously affected by their current accommodation and where re-housing would make it significantly easier to manage.

Applicant or household member is ready to be discharged from hospital, a rehabilitation unit or residential care into their current permanent accommodation which is not suitable for their medical needs or disability and the property is not suitable for any relevant adaptations. 

Applicant or household member has a significant mental health or other health problems that are being caused or made worse by their housing situation (property type and or location), and this could be resolved by urgent rehousing.

Applicant or household member requires significant disabled adaptations to meet their needs, and this is not possible in their current accommodation, and a move is urgently needed.

6 months time limited review

Social and Welfare Need – very urgent

These relate to circumstances where a move is very urgent due to the social and welfare needs of the applicant or member of their household. Cases will be assessed according to their own individual circumstances and will consider the impact of the current housing on the needs of the household. Circumstances applicable to Band A award include the following examples:

• Fleeing violence – domestic abuse, exploitation, or hate crime where persons have been assessed high risk.
• Witness of crime or victims of crime assessed as high risk.
• A child protection plan with recommendation to move to more suitable accommodation.
• Approved foster carer, special guardian or adoptive parent having a need to move to a larger home.
• Children being returned from care of a local authority.
• Moving to release socially rented disabled persons/and or adapted accommodation with major adaptations.

6 months time-limited review

Armed Forces

Additional preference must be given to an applicant who has an assessed housing need under the reasonable preference categories and who is in urgent housing need as defined by this scheme.

6 months time-limited review

Under-occupation

Social housing tenants living in the Solihull Borough who are under occupying their home by two or more bedrooms.

6 months time-limited review

Homelessness – s189B relief duty

Applicants who have been assessed by Solihull Council to be eligible and homeless and therefore owed the S189B Relief duty of the Housing Act 1996, where a Personal Housing Plan is in place and the applicant is engaging with Solihull Housing Options to relieve their homelessness.

Managed bid or direct offer

Homelessness – s195 Prevention Duty 

Applicants who have been assessed by Solihull Council to be eligible and threatened with homelessness and therefore owed the S195 Prevention duty of the Housing Act 1996, where a Personal Housing Plan is in place and the applicant is engaging with Solihull Housing Options to prevent their homelessness.

During Prevention Duty

Overcrowding – two bedrooms

Applicants who are assessed as requiring an additional two bedrooms based on the bedroom standard will be awarded Band B. This will be awarded except where there is evidence that the applicant has deliberately caused the overcrowding. 

12 months review

Urgent need due to medical or disability

Applicants will be placed in Band B where their current accommodation is having a negative impact on their physical or mental health and prompt rehousing is required to resolve or alleviate the issue.

12 months review

Social and Welfare Need – urgent 

These relate to circumstances where a move is urgently required due to the social and welfare needs of the applicant or member of their household. Cases will be assessed according to their own individual circumstances and will consider the impact of the current housing on the needs of the household. Circumstances applicable to the Band B award include the following examples:

• Supported Move on accommodation.
• Care experienced young people.

12 months review

Releasing one bedroom (under occupancy)

Solihull Council and Housing Association tenants in the borough who are financially affected by the shortfall in benefits because of having a spare bedroom, will qualify for Band B priority to assist them to move to accommodation where benefit entitlement will meet the full rental charge.

12 months review

Required to leave Solihull Council tied accommodation same

Where a Council service tenant occupying tied accommodation whose contract states that accommodation must be occupied, and their employment is terminated, the service tenant retires or tied accommodation is no longer available. This will not apply to employees leaving because of dismissal.

12 months review

Non-successors

Households currently living in Council accommodation who are unable to succeed to the tenancy on the death of the previous tenant.

6 months review then direct offer

Special Circumstances

There may be exceptional circumstances that create housing needs which are not recognised in the Housing Allocation Scheme. In such instances, senior managers with SCH will have delegated authority to make appropriate decisions on awarding this banding.

12 months review

Applicants who have been assessed to be eligible, qualify and are homeless but not in priority need

Applicants who have previously been owed the Relief Duty of the Housing Act 1996, and following the end of the Relief Duty, it was assessed that they were eligible and homeless, but not in priority need.

12 months review

Overcrowding – one bedroom

Applicants who are assessed as requiring one more bedroom than they currently have. This will be awarded except where there is evidence that the applicant has deliberately caused the overcrowding.

12 months review

Shared Facilities

The applicant requires single person accommodation and is living with family or friends in accommodation where they are sharing facilities (bathroom, kitchen, or toilet) without sole use of a bedroom.

12 months review

Social welfare and hardship need

Those who need to move to a particular locality within the borough, where a failure to meet this need would cause hardship to themselves or others, will qualify for Band C. 

12 months review

Housing Need – no Local Connection – exceptional circumstances

This includes applicants who are eligible and meet the qualifying criteria but do not have a local connection. They will only be registered in exceptional circumstances which the applicant has set out on the application. Each case will be assessed and decided on an individual basis.

12 months review

Under-occupation by one bedroom – new criteria will move from Band B to C in some circumstances (we will need to investigate each applicant)

Social housing tenants in Solihull who are under occupying a property by one bedroom, who are not financially impacted as a result of the under occupation. The number of bedrooms required will be assessed using the bedroom standard.

12 months review

If an applicant has refused three suitable offers of alternative accommodation, they will be placed in this banding for 12 months from the date of the last refusal, after which time applicants will need to reapply. Failure to do so will result in application being closed.

Households where the main housing duty has ended due to a refusal of one suitable offer of accommodation, and following reassessment of application, their circumstances do not meet criteria for Bands A-C.

Applicant has not actively bid for suitable housing to meet an assessed housing need within their time restricted Banding, or for all other cases, within the last 12 months.

Applicants who have been assessed to be eligible, homeless and in priority need, but have become homeless intentionally as defined in section 191 of the Housing Act 1996