Waiting time once on the register?
If you are successful in qualifying for inclusion on our housing register, you are not guaranteed an offer of social housing. This is because demand far outweighs supply.
Several factors influence whether a household receives social housing and if so, how long they were waiting before receiving an offer. These factors include:
- supply of newbuild and existing social housing (i.e. re-lets),
- size of property required,
- preferences or needs regarding location and property type (i.e. tower-block flats, houses, bungalows, adapted/non-adapted, ground floor, with/without a garden),
- whether they are interested in and/or meet the age criteria for living in sheltered (older persons) housing – which is less popular. (Those in lower bands are more likely to be housed if they will consider sheltered housing).
- whether they have a pet/the pet criteria of the housing they are interested in
- the frequency with which the applicant is placing bids/expressing an interest in available social housing.
Of those allocated social housing in 2023/24, the average number of days between registration and allocation is shown below:
Accessible property:
- Non age restricted = 646 for minor adaptations, 1,017 for fully wheelchair accessible homes
- Older persons (sheltered) housing = 237 for minor adaptations, 236 for fully wheelchair accessible homes
Non age restricted properties – average days to be housed from initial registration (includes adapted):
|
Bedroom size |
|||||
Band of priority |
Studio |
1 Bed |
2 Bed |
3 Bed |
4 Bed |
5 Bed |
Emergency |
|
|
|
621 |
|
|
One suitable offer (owed the main homelessness duty, direct let) |
111 |
379 |
852 |
751 |
680 |
|
Band A |
240 |
347 |
238 |
775 |
423 |
|
Band B |
339 |
932 |
1246 |
908 |
||
Band C |
1200 |
2589 |
||||
Band D |
98 |
Older persons (sheltered) housing – average days to be housed from initial registration (includes adapted):
|
Bedroom size |
|
Band of priority |
Studio |
1 Bed |
One suitable offer |
85 |
51 |
Band A |
420 |
170 |
Band B |
89 |
162 |
Band C |
216 |
323 |
Band D |
129 |
100 |
A breakdown of the number of properties we let in 2023/24 is shown below, as can be seen, those in lower bands of priority are rarely allocated non age restricted sheltered housing.
Band of priority |
Non age restricted |
Sheltered (older persons) |
Total |
Emergency |
3 |
3 |
|
One suitable offer |
62 |
4 |
66 |
Band A |
81 |
21 |
102 |
Band B |
28 |
40 |
68 |
Band C |
5 |
47 |
52 |
Band D |
1 |
17 |
18 |
Grand Total |
180 |
129 |
309 |
Details regarding allocated properties, including the band of the successful applicant, their effective date, the number of bidders and a photograph of the property can be found by clicking ‘Properties and search recent lets’ -> ‘Recent Lets’: Search properties - onthemove (southend-on-the-move.org.uk).