The Social Housing Register

The Social Housing Register

The Social Housing Register is the equivalent to what most people would call the ‘council housing waiting list’. Since 2 July 2007 it is managed by ARP Trading Ltd on behalf of the Council.

The Register is used to allocate properties in the Breckland area managed by all the major housing associations, so there is no need to apply separately to other associations such as Broadland or Cotman; you will automatically be considered for their properties.

You will need to complete the form fully, as you may not receive the priority your housing circumstances deserve if ARP Trading is not fully aware of your situation. If you do not complete all the relevant sections the form may be returned to you, which will delay your assessment.

Forms are available by contacting ARP Trading Ltd.

What priority will I get?

Your application will be assessed using a points system which reflects your housing circumstances. As examples –

• someone living as a lodger would get higher priority than someone who has a property of his or her own, and
• a family which is crowded would get higher priority than a family which is not.

Broadly speaking, the applicant with the most points for a certain type of property in a specific area will be offered the next suitable vacancy.

It is very difficult for ARP Trading to tell you when you will be offered a property, as this depends on many things, such as other people joining the Register and, of course, properties becoming available. There is far more demand for housing than there are available properties, and you may have a long wait before you receive an offer.

You may see empty housing association properties and wonder why no-one is living there. This is often because works are being carried out to the property, or people have moved out but their tenancy has not yet ended. It may also be because people have just left without telling the association, so it is always worth letting them know if you see one of their properties empty – there is always someone who needs it.

There are some circumstances under which your application may not be accepted or may be suspended from consideration for a property. For full details of the terms and conditions contact ARP Trading.