Housing strategy
The housing strategy team works to identify and address the town's housing needs and aspirations. Please scroll through the various sections below for further information
Sub regional choice based letting scheme
Middlesbrough Council is the lead authority for the Tees Valley Choice Based Letting (CBL) Partnership that was convened in 2006 to develop a sub regional CBL Scheme. Put simply, choice based lettings is the Government's preferred method for allocating social housing and all local authorities must have a scheme in place by 2010.
The Partnership consists of five local authorities: Middlesbrough, Stockton, Redcar & Cleveland, Hartlepool and Darlington Councils and four RSL/ ALMO partners: Erimus Housing, Tristar Homes, Coast & Country Housing and Housing Hartlepool.
Choice based Lettings is a new way of allocating social housing, available properties are advertised and applicants choose the properties that they want to be considered for rather than waiting to be made an offer. The process for assessing and prioritising applications is easier to understand using a system for banding applicants to reflect their housing need i.e. applicants with more pressing needs than others are placed in a higher band, whilst those with less urgent needs are placed in a lower band.
The sub regional CBL scheme will bring together a larger pool of vacant properties, offering more choice for applicants. The resources and costs for developing and implementing the scheme will be shared between the partners, making it more efficient and cost effective to deliver. We are also hoping to involve more registered social landlords and private landlords as the scheme develops further in the future.
The Partnership has been meeting weekly to develop the structure and operational details of the scheme. A number of things have been achieved to date, including the appointment of a provider for the ICT system, and the development of the Common Allocation Policy, which is a framework document for the operation of the scheme.
It is anticipated that the scheme will be implemented and go live in January 2009.
Further information on the scheme can be obtained by contacting Sharon Caddell, tel: 01642 729369 or by e-mailing sharon.caddell@middlesbrough.gov.uk.