Living Merthyr Tydfil

Band

Priority

Category

Band 1

Urgent

Homelessness priority

• People who are homeless and have been assessed as being owed a homelessness s75 duty.
• People that need to move due to a fire or flood, or severe storm damage to their home and have no alternative place to stay on a temporary basis and require temporary accommodation.
• Applicants who need to move immediately due to domestic abuse and/or sexual violence and has had to access refuge or temporary accommodation and have been discussed at MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference). Areas of risk will be excluded from the applicant’s application.
• An applicant who has an urgent need to move for significant medical or welfare reasons (including disability) and are unable to be discharged safely from hospital to their current home due to safety concerns.
• People who are residing in Supported Accommodation funded by the Local Authority and been agreed through the move on process as ready for move on into an independent property.
• Homeless prison leavers classified as MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) offenders Level 2 and 3; and a s75 duty is likely to be owed.

Band 1 Reduced

( Due to system constraints the “Reduced” is used to separate the Homelessness priority from all other applications and does not    reduce applicant’s priority further.)

High

•

People where it has been verified by the Council, are rough sleeping within Merthyr Tydfil

•

People that ned to move due to a fire or flood, or severe storm damage to their home that have alternative place to stay on a temporary basis such as with friends/family.

•

Households living in conditions which give rise to an imminent risk of serious harm and where the Council has served an Emergency Prohibition Order under Part 1 of the Housing Act 2004.

•

Excessive Overcrowding of 2 bedrooms or more measured by the bedroom standard i.e. Where a Council officer has made an assessment using the Housing Health and Safety Rating system and concluded there is a serious high risk of harm due the impact of severe overcrowding. 

•

Demolition or Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO). Where the applicant’s property is subject to demolition or subject to a Compulsory Purchase Order for redevelopment.

•

Applicants without access to any of the following facilities:

A bathroom or kitchen

An inside WC

Hot or cold water supplies, electricity, gas or adequate heating.

(Note: Applicants who have access to shared facilities in shared accommodation – will not qualify under this criteria)

•

An applicant who has a high need to move for significant medical or welfare reasons (including disability), which are being exacerbated by their current housing situation which will be improved by moving to more suitable accommodation but are able to remain in property temporarily with support/care.

•

Applicants who need to move immediately due to domestic abuse and/or sexual violence but can remain temporarily in current property with target hardening measures in place and have been discussed at MARAC. Areas of risk will be excluded from the applicant’s application.

•

Applicants who need to move immediately due to extreme violence or extreme harassment as confirmed by police or other relevant public agencies.

•

Where their spouse or partner’s death is attributable (wholly or partly) to their Military service and the bereaved spouse or civil partner’s entitlement to reside in Ministry of Defence accommodation then ceases. 

•

Where a social housing tenant lives in a property with a significant adaptation and a change of circumstances has meant that the current occupier no longer needs the significant adaptation.

•

Care leavers (not residing in accommodation provided by the MTCBC Housing Solutions Team as temporary/ supported accommodation) considered ready to move out of current placement by MTCBC Housing Solutions

Team and Social Services (Move On Panel)

Band 2

Medium

•

Applicants owed a s66 homelessness prevention duty (Only where the Landlord has formally commenced possession proceedings with the Court) (Banding will be back dated to the date notice served or if already Band 2 for another priority need reason and the date precedes the notice the date will remain the same.)

•

Applicants owed a S73 homeless duty (but only for as long as that duty is owed to the applicant) (Applicants owed a S66, or S73, or S75 duty by another Council will be given a Band 3) 

•

Where a s73 duty is ended and no final duty (s75) is owed – the applicant will remain in Band 2 for a maximum period of 52 weeks from the ending of the s73 duty.

•

Applicants who live in accommodation that is a moveable structure, like a caravan, but there is no lawful place they can lawfully place it and live in it

•

Serious Chronic/Acute medical reason(s) (including disability) that have a CLEAR and DIRECT link to existing housing circumstances, which would be significantly improved by re-housing.

•

Significant Welfare reason(s) such as: victim of serious ASB impacting on existing mental health condition of the applicant(s) or where access to local amenities from their current home is significantly hindered by the applicant’s mobility issues 

•

Household is overcrowded by 1 bedroom

•

Existing Community (social) tenants who are underoccupying their home and need to move to a smaller property due to financial hardship. However, the applicant also has to evidence that they are also trying to solve the situation i.e. submit a DHP to assist with the payments until they can secure alternative accommodation.

•

Where an authorised officer from Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council has determined that a private rented property contains one or more serious Category 1 hazards as defined by the Housing Health & Safety Rating System and there is no prospect of the issues being remedied in a period of time that Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council considers reasonable. 

•

Owner occupiers and private rented contract holders suffering financial hardship as a direct result of their current home

•

Armed Forces Veterans who have served in the five years preceding their application date

•

Support Hardship: applicants that have demonstrable evidence that they provide, or receive, substantial and ongoing support to, or from, relatives or friends. This will only be considered where there are significant medical or welfare issues including grounds relating to disability; and there are valid reasons why this support cannot be achieved or maintained through reliance on public transport or the applicant’s personal transport

•

Employment Hardship: priority will only be given in exceptional circumstances. Applicants must show that they need to move to take up or to continue an employment opportunity not available elsewhere. They will only be considered where they do not currently live within a reasonable commuting distance.

Band 3

Low

•

All other applicants who are eligible to be registered but do not have a statutory reasonable preference priority for bands 1 or 2. 

•

Applicants owed a S66 homelessness prevention duty, but it has been confirmed steps can be taken to prevent the eviction.

•

Those who have previously had a priority banding but have refused 2 reasonable offers of a suitable property; who are required to provide new suitable supporting information to confirm they still require a higher band for a priority reason.

•

Have rent arrears/housing related debt that is current or for previous tenancy/occupation contracts and have repayment plan in place. If priority band is required this can be assessed after rent repayment plan has been adhered to and applicant has notified that repayment plan has been completed. ( Excluding those who have been assessed as a S75/S73 Homelessness duty)

No Priority

•

Applicants who are eligible to join the register but have been awarded no priority for a number of reasons set out in the policy including:

• Failure to address former rent arrears or housing related debts as set out in debt repayment criteria or as agreed with the Partner Registered Community Landlord.
• Failure to address unacceptable behaviour and it has been assessed via Local Housing Panel as set out with in this policy.
• Not yet considered to be ready for move on and ready to maintain an Occupational contract as set out in the Supported Housing and Temporary accommodation move on process.
• Those who have made an application for a placement to Extra Care and are going through the panel process or been accepted to the allocations list for Extra Care.
• Those who have refused 2 reasonable offers of accommodation and been placed into No Priority for 3 months following the notification from a community Landlord of the second reasonable refusals.