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Large Northern housing association changes allocation policy to support those in priority need
Gentoo Group is temporarily changing the way it allocates properties in a bid to support those on its waiting list who are most in need of social housing.
The Sunderland-based landlord has made the decision to freeze the applications of existing Gentoo tenants who are not listed as being in ‘priority need’.
Around 20,000 people are currently registered on the 66,000-home landlord’s allocations system, roughly a third of whom are existing Gentoo tenants.
Existing Gentoo tenants who are not in priority need will no longer be able to apply to move to another Gentoo property for a six-month period from Wednesday 30 September.
Local authorities determine whether a household is in priority need when an application is made for housing support.
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A household is determined to be in priority need if it includes dependable children or a member is pregnant or vulnerable in some way, for example if they are fleeing domestic abuse.
Gentoo said it is working closely with Sunderland Council to allocate homes to local people who have been nominated by the council with a priority housing need.
The decision to freeze applications from existing Gentoo tenants was taken following consultation with residents as part of the landlord’s community engagement forums.
Over the next six months, Gentoo will review its existing allocations policy, which it intends to complete by the end of March 2021.
The move comes one week after the National Housing Federation published an analysis that showed there are more than 1.6 million households currently in need of social housing and sitting on waiting lists across the UK.
Nigel Wilson, chief executive officer at Gentoo, said: “We believe everybody deserves a safe and secure home they can afford and this temporary change to our housing allocations will allow fair access to a rented home in the city for those most in need of a home.
“While we have plans to tackle the housing shortage in the city, this short-term change will prioritise our housing supply for our existing tenants with a priority housing need and those looking to start a new tenancy with us. This will help to ensure vulnerable local people have a safe place to call home.”
