Allocations and Lettings Policy Consultation

Have your say on social housing in Newcastle

Social housing is in high demand in Newcastle and we need manage it in a way that meets the needs of local residents.  We are thinking about making some changes to the way we allocate social housing in the city.  This includes changes to our succession policy for existing tenants. 

Community involvement and public engagement is important to us and we want to know what you think about the proposed changes.  We also want to hear about your experience of applying for and moving into social housing in Newcastle.

You can respond to this consultation here.

What we're proposing to change

We are thinking about making some changes to two council policies:

1. Allocations and lettings policy
2. Successions, assignments and granting discretionary tenancies (Successions) policy

Below are links to the draft policies and a summary of the proposed changes:

Draft Allocations and Lettings Policy

Draft Successions Policy

Summary of changes

Why we're proposing these changes

Our Allocations and Lettings Policy explains the way we decide how all council, and some housing association, homes are allocated.  When someone applies for a home we use these rules to decide whether they can join the housing register, what type of home they can have and their level of need or priority.  Our Successions policy sets out the rules the council must follow if a tenant dies or if a tenant wants to give their tenancy to another member of their household.  

There has been a lot of changes to the law since we last reviewed these policies.  The demand for social housing and the needs of people applying for it have also changed.  We need to change our policies to meet our legal obligations, respond to the changing demand for social housing and protect our rental income.

We also want to make our policies easier to understand and make it easier and quicker for people to apply for social housing.

How to get involved

We want to hear from current tenants, people who have applied for social housing and people who might apply for social housing in the future.  We also want to hear from local residents and groups and organisations in the city. 

You can respond to the consultation by completing the online form here.  The deadline for responding is midnight on Sunday 6 November 2022.

If you need the form or consultation documents as a paper copy or in an alternative format or if you have any questions about the consultation please contact us by:

Phone: 0191 2787878

Email: fairerhousingunit@newcastle.gov.uk

What happens next

Following the consultation we will consider the responses we receive and use them to inform our new Allocations and lettings and Successions policies.  

We will share the results of the consultation on this page.