Housing Allocation Policy

• Disqualification from membership will replace suspensions.
• Gold band priority will be extended to include urgent management transfers and bereaved spouses of service personnel who are required to vacate service accommodation.
• Silver Plus priority will no longer exist.
• Silver band priority will be extended to include under-occupying Calderdale tenants and people experiencing financial hardship who can no longer afford to remain in their current home.
• Members may be given additional preference in a shortlist to recognise employment, service in the regular or reservist armed forces or a community contribution.
• Members with outstanding rent arrears to a participating landlord or CMBC may be given less preference in a shortlist than those who do not have such debts.
• Owner Occupiers will be expected to actively market their home within three months of accepting a rented home owned by a Housing Association.
• Applicants with an ownership stake in another property may be offered an assured short-hold tenancy until such time as that stake is relinquished.

Anyone over the age of 16 may join Keychoice unless they are not eligible to join or do not qualify for an allocation of social housing

Certain people from abroad will not be eligible to join KeyChoice regardless of their circumstances. This includes some British Citizens who have lived abroad and have recently returned to the UK.

Some applicants will not qualify for an allocation of social housing because of their behaviour. Examples of behaviour that may result in disqualification are:

• Rent arrears in current home (social landlord tenancy only)
• Accommodation charge debts in CMBC temporary accommodation
• Former tenant arrears where no satisfactory repayment arrangement has been made or maintained (social landlord tenancy only)
• Anti-social behaviour by the applicant
• Convictions for using or supplying drugs and other illegal substances
• Convictions for using a home for illegal or immoral purposes
• Allowing the condition of a rented property to deteriorate
• Theft or damage to any property currently or previously owned by a social landlord ( including Calderdale Council temporary accommodation)
• Burglary or theft from dwellings, motor vehicles etc
• Assault
• Intimidation and or harassment to members of the public and or staff of any housing association operating in Calderdale
• Obtaining a tenancy by deception; for example giving false information or failing to notify of a material change in circumstances
• Behaviour that continues to pose a risk to the community

Each application for membership will be considered individually and a disqualification may be lifted if a satisfactory arrangement or undertaking is made and maintained with the relevant landlord.

Young people age 16 or 17 may apply to join KeyChoice but if offered a tenancy this is likely to be an 'Equitable Tenancy' and an appropriate person or organisation will be required to act as a 'Trustee'.

Complete the on line form at KeyChoice

There are three priority bands; Gold Silver and Bronze. An outline of each priority band is given below.

• Following completion of the on-line application form, the KeyChoice website will allocate you a provisional priority band when you submit your details.
• Your circumstances must be verified before an offer is made and you may be required to provide additional information.
• All priority categories linked to homelessness and some other factors will require a detailed investigation by Calderdale Council Housing Options Service. This investigation may take several weeks and if you believe that you are homeless or at risk of homelessness you are advised to make contact with Housing Advice as soon as possible.
• Gold band is usually valid for three months and silver band is valid for twelve months. Gold band will usually be withdrawn if you refuse an offer of a property that is considered suitable for your needs.
• As well as being awarded a priority band you may also be given additional or less preference when a particular property is let. You may be given additional preference because of your employment status, volunteering activity or current or former service in the regular or reservist armed forces.
• You may be given less preference because of rent arrears that are not serious enough to result in you being disqualified from membership, but which are still outstanding at the time your bid for a particular property was made.