If you are registered for a move on the Solihull Home Options website, you may wonder ‘how long will I be waiting?’ This is a very difficult question for us to answer because it depends on a number of things.

Below is some helpful advice and information if you are waiting on the housing register.

Applicants

The demand for social housing is extremely high. We currently have approximately 2,400 people waiting on our housing register.

Those waiting on the housing register include:
– Homeless applicants
– General needs applicant who need a home
– Families who need larger accommodation
– Applicants with medical conditions and need to move to an adapted property
– Tenants that need to move to small accommodations
– Tenants who have a good tenant record and wish to move but have no housing need

Banding

Properties are allocated based on housing need and how long you have been waiting for.

Housing need is applied through a banding system of Band A to E. Band A is the highest priority and Band E is the lowest. We also give a Band T to tenants with a good tenancy record who wish to transfer, but have no urgent need for a move.

For more information on the banding system please call 0121 717 1515.

Waiting Times

From end of September 2023 there were 2,021 applicants awarded Band A or B waiting on the register.

1,126 in Band A and 895 in Band B

From the 2,021 applicants 720 required a three-bedroom property.

The average waiting time for an applicant waiting for a three-bedroom property, in urgent housing need (Band A or B) is approximately two and half years.

If you are not an urgent housing need, the waiting time for a move can be considerably longer.

Housing stock

Our housing stock is limited. We have very few four and five-bed houses. If you are waiting for properties of this size you will be waiting a long time. This will be longer for those who are not awarded a high banding priority.

Flexibility

It’s important to be as flexible as possible when you are bidding on properties. If you can, always consider bidding on all property types and areas.

Bidding

We often receive questions from applicants who ask why there is nothing to bid on. We can only advertise properties when a tenant notifies us that they are moving out. We also advertise some properties for our partner Registered Social Landlords when they have vacant properties to let.

Consider other options

We encourage you to consider other options if you are waiting for a move. Think about privately renting or registering for a mutual exchange on the Homeswapper website http://www.homeswapper.co.uk