Solihull Council’s objective for its Housing Allocation Scheme is to:
- Have an accessible, clear, fair, and transparent scheme.
- Prioritise and allocate to those in greatest housing need.
- Reducing number of people becoming statutory homeless.
- Support the best use of social housing stock.
- Offer applicants choice and informed decision making in relation to available accommodation and housing options.
- Contribute to the Council’s strategic priorities and support the development and sustainability of thriving communities.
The allocation scheme, Solihull Home Options, has a banding scheme whereby households are placed into different priority categories. This ensures that priority for the allocation of housing is given to applicants with the greatest housing need.
Solihull does also allow an urgent priority banding to be awarded to those social housing tenants that are under occupying their home to encourage release of that property for those that are seeking larger family homes.
There are three categories that can be awarded where a applicant is under occupying their home:
- Band A will be awarded where the person/s are releasing two or more bedrooms in a Solihull Council property or partner housing association property within the Solihull Borough. This award will be based on the persons housing entitlement under the bedroom standard. This is a time limited banding and will be reviewed after six months.
- Band B will be awarded where the person/s are releasing one bedroom in a Solihull Council property or partner housing association property within the Solihull Borough. You will need to be financially affected by the shortfall in welfare benefits as a result of having a spare bedroom. This is a time limited banding and will be reviewed after six months.
- Band C will be awarded where the person is releasing one bedroom in a Solihull Council property or a partner housing association property within the Solihull Borough but who are not financially impacted as a result of the under occupation. The number of bedrooms required will be assessed by using the bedroom standard. This is a time limited banding and will be reviewed after twelve months.
There are two banding categories that can be awarded where overcrowding exists:
- Where the applicant and their household have been assessed as requiring an additional three bedrooms based on the bedroom standard, they will be awarded a Band A. This is a time limited banding and will be reviewed after six months.
- Where the applicant and their household have been assessed as requiring an additional two bedrooms based on the bedroom standard, they will be awarded a Band B. This is a time limited banding and will be reviewed after twelve months.
- Where the applicant and their household have been assessed as requiring an additional bedroom based on the bedroom standard, they will be awarded a Band C except where there is evidence that the applicant has deliberately caused the overcrowding. This is a time limited banding and will be reviewed after twelve months.
The bedroom standard within Solihull’s Housing Allocation Policy is based on the ages and composition of the family. Under this standard, a separate bedroom is allocated to each:
- Married or cohabiting couple (including civil partners).
- Each adult aged 21 or over, not in a couple.
- Any two children/adolescents of the same gender under 21 years.
- Any two children of opposite gender under 10.
- An additional room if required by a carer who does not live as part of the household but provides the applicant or a member of the household with overnight care on four or more nights per week (the applicant will be required to provide evidence of this need such as DWP claim or support from adult social care). Living areas would normally be expected to be used as a sleeping area for occasional carers. Only in exceptional circumstances will applicants be eligible for an additional bedroom.