Sheffield Council to drop ‘insurance policy’ option to reduce housing waiting list

Of the current priority awards, 64% are to homeless households owed a legal rehousing duty by the council, according to a document.

Sheffield Council said the 29,131 households on its waiting list was a snapshot figure as of 16 October 2025 and that of these, “over 10,000 people have never bid, with a further 5,000 having not placed a bid in over 12 months”.

The cost to the council of managing this register, “where 95% of households do not have an assessed housing need, is more than £200,000 per year”, and with fewer properties becoming available each week, the council said “the current policy is no longer fit for purpose”.

The new policy will have seven bands. Band 1 will be for emergency, band 6 for general needs and band 7 for reduced preference.

The new policy means that “applicants in bands six and seven must place at least one bid every 12 months to remain on the housing register”.

Plus, applicants will now need to have a local connection to Sheffield of at least three continuous years.

The council said: “Overall, it is anticipated that the size of our housing register will initially reduce by approximately 15% and administrative costs will reduce by approximately £33,000 per year.”

Some expert organisations that responded to the council’s consultation on the policy expressed concern that refugees who received a positive asylum application would be disadvantaged because they “would not have had the opportunity to acquire a local connection to Sheffield or anywhere else and have very limited housing options”.

In a statement, James Clark, director of housing at Sheffield Council, said: “This updated policy brings greater clarity and transparency to how council homes are allocated in Sheffield.

“These changes aim to support those in greatest need while making the system clearer for everyone who uses it. Thank you to everyone who participated in the consultation exercise.”