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Assessing Your Application

The law states that we must give priority or “reasonable preference” to certain categories of people who have a more urgent housing need than others. Applicants who meet the criteria for reasonable preference will qualify for bands A, B or C.

Applicants who do not meet the criteria set out for a reasonable preference group will qualify for Bands D or E with Band F containing those applicants with a recent history of anti social behaviour or signifi cant rent arrears. Durham Key Options partner organisations will determine the property type and size for which an applicant can bid. Each Durham Key Options partner will request information/documentation from applicants to verify their eligibility.

Applicants will be placed into one of six bands according to their assessed need and entitlement. Within Bands A, B and C below, the ‘+’ category is given priority. For example, Band A+ is given priority over Band A.

Band	Qualifying Criteria
Band A+ High priority need	Applicants within this band are eligible for all properties via the choice based lettings scheme in the first instance in cases of: Regeneration schemes within County Durham
Band A High priority need	Urgent medical reasons Supply and demand transfers Urgent medical cases are given priority over supply and demand transfers.
Band B+ Multiple housing need	Homeless applicants accepted as statutorily homeless with a full duty to be housed under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002) due to violence or threat of violence OR Applicants with two or more housing needs (detailed in Band B) where at least one is in the following preference groups: Applicants who need to move due to high medical need Applicants overcrowded by at least two bedrooms
Band B Multiple Housing need	Applicants with two or more housing needs from the following preference groups: Homeless applicants accepted as statutorily homeless with a full duty to be housed under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002) Applicants occupying unsanitary, overcrowded (one bedroom short of requirements) or otherwise unsatisfactory housing Applicants who need to move due to medical or welfare grounds in accordance with the medical framework for medical priority found in appendix 2 of this policy Applicants who need to move to a particular locality to avoid hardship
Band C+ Single housing need	Applicants who fall into one of the following preference groups: Applicants who need to move due to high medical need (outlined in appendix 2 of this policy) Applicants overcrowded by at least two bedrooms Homeless applicants accepted as statutorily homeless with a full duty to be housed under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002) who do not have multiple housing needs Applicants living in intensive supported housing their support plan identifi es ability to successfully move into an independent tenancy Care leavers
Band C Single housing need	Applicants who fall into one of the following preference groups: Applicants occupying unsanitary, overcrowded (one bedroom short of requirements) or otherwise unsatisfactory housing Applicants who need to move due to medical or welfare grounds in accordance with the medical framework for medical priority found in appendix 2 of this policy Applicants who need to move to a particular locality to avoid hardship Non-statutory homeless
Band D General housing need	Applicants who have a housing need which is not one of the statutory preference groups and therefore do not meet the criteria for Bands A, B or C as follows: Applicants leaving the armed forces who do not fall within the criteria of the homelessness legislation and have served three years or longer or who have been medically discharged Applicants wishing to live independently with no other housing need Applicants needing larger accommodation (outside of the overcrowding criteria) with no other housing need Relationship breakdown with no other housing need Applicants threatened with homelessness within three months, in order to prevent actual homelessness
Band E No housing need	Applicants who are adequately housed and have no housing need.
Band F Reduced Priority	Applicants with a reduced priority within the scheme as a consequence of outstanding rent arrears (not caused by exceptional hardship) or unacceptable behaviour