Housing Allocations Policy consultation

Local housing authorities are required to have an allocations policy which sets out:

• how the council assesses the eligibility of applicants for the housing register, and
• how it allocates council properties.

At Lewes District and Eastbourne Borough Councils we are reviewing our allocations policy for each authority. We want to have a policy that provides a better experience for people applying to our housing register, and one that is fair, efficient, and makes the best use of the limited number of properties available.

We would like your feedback to help us shape our new policy.

The current approach

The current Choice Based Lettings system involves people bidding for a property when it becomes available. The bidding process takes two weeks from start to finish before applicants can be shortlisted.

However, for many years demand has far exceeded supply, with as many as four times the number of applicants on the register as there are annual lettings of properties. Many applicants spend years on the waiting list with little or no realistic prospect of an offer.

The Choice Based Lettings model also causes significant delays and administrative burdens for staff, with minimal evidence that it encourages applicants to broaden their areas of choice or improve their chances of being re-housed in council accommodation.

In response, an independent review has recommended that the council develop a new policy.

The proposed new approach

We are proposing a 'Property Match' model, which is designed to speed up the process by removing the bidding process and instead, empty properties are immediately offered to the best suited families and individuals on the housing register.

The council would allocate a property directly to the most suitable person on the list, based on:

• Priority Band
• Earliest registration date
• Area of preference
• Number of bedrooms needed
• Mobility issues

The main difference is that it would no longer be necessary for people to place 'bids' online and wait to the end of a bidding cycle to see if they have been successful, meaning the whole process is sped up, which also reduces the amount of time it takes for a property to be re-let.

We have provided a summary of the key changes included in the new proposed policy.

Overview of proposed changes

The full draft policies are available to download at the end of this page.

Have your say

We would like to know what you think about the changes we are proposing to make to our allocations policy.

We have provided an online survey help with your response. The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete.

Take the survey

The consultation will close at 5pm on Friday 18 April 2025.

To request the consultation information in a different language or format, such as paper copy, please email CustomerFirst@lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk