Waiting List
Up to 50% of all our vacancies are made available to people on the waiting list.

Local Authority Nominations
Up to 50% of our vacancies made available to applicants nominated by the Local Authority from their own waiting lists.

Transfers
Tenants who have held their current tenancy for 12 months may apply for a transfer provided they are not in rent arrears and their present accommodation is in good order.

Mutual Exchanges
Tenants can exchange their homes with either our tenants or tenants of another housing association or local authority. We usually agree to these requests (which should be made in writing) provided that there is no under-occupancy or overcrowding, the other landlord is in agreement, there are no rent arrears and the property is in good condition.

Other Agencies
We have arrangements with particular organisations to rehouse some of their clients. We also reserve a small quota of our lettings from tenants of other landlords who are nominated to us through the HOMES scheme, which helps people move to other parts of the country.

We are prevented by law from accepting applications from members of staff, committee members or any of their relatives. All other applications are treated are treated equally regardless of their sex, ethnic or racial group or origin, or their religious or political views.

How it is decided who to re-house
The number of applications we receive always exceeds the number of properties available to let. It is therefore essential to examine each application carefully to determine who is in the most housing need. To enable this to be done all questions on the application form must be answered.

Any person of 18 years and over may apply for accommodation by completing the appropriate form. Applicants under this age will only be considered if there are exceptional circumstances (to be determined in each case by the Housing Director) and only if a guarantor is available).

Points system
We use a points system to assess who is most in need of housing. This is used for all applications to the waiting list, tenants applying for a transfer and for tenants of other housing associations or council tenants applying through a mobility scheme (such as HOMES). Every waiting list application is given points for housing need in the following areas:

Present Housing Circumstances
Points are given to people who are homeless or imminently homeless:

Present Housing Conditions
Points are given to people in the following categories:
· Overcrowding
· Under-occupation
· Lacking or having to share amenities
· Present property condition.

Medical reasons
Points are given according to the degree to which the medical condition will be alleviated or improved by re-housing

Social Reasons
Points are given for other housing related problems such as:
· Families living apart
· Harassment
· Moving to be closer to work or to give/receive support from family
· Moving to more affordable accommodation
· Relationship breakdown / domestic friction

Environmental factors
· Elderly who experience violence in their own home
· Independence

Time in Need
Points are given to people who have been in desperate need for over a year when they apply to us. We also give points to people on the waiting list for every six months they have waited to be re-housed.

Unrecognised need – special circumstances
Points may be awarded if it is found that a need exists which cannot sufficiently be recognised under the above categories

What happens once the points total has been calculated?
All applications are given points and put into categories based on the area of housing chosen and the type and size of home needed. Each category has a “points threshold” which is the number of points needed in order to be housed in that category of housing. The points threshold is based on the availability of the category of housing. So, for example if you choose an area where we have a lot of houses and a larger number of vacancies, then the points threshold is likely to be lower than for areas where we have few vacancies.

At least two members of staff decide which points are awarded. If you do not get enough points to be considered for housing, then we will write to tell you this. We may also give you advice about your other options for housing.

If you have enough points to be considered for housing, we will also write and let you know and a Housing Officer will arrange to visit you at home. The Housing Officer will check that you have been awarded the correct number of points and advise you further about your housing options. Once you have been visited, we will write confirming whether or not you have been accepted on to the waiting list.

Every 12 months, a review form is sent to people on the waiting list to check whether they still require accommodation. If no reply is received within 14 days it is assumed that accommodation is no longer required and the applicant is removed from the list.

How long will you have to wait?
We aim to make you an offer of housing within 12 months. But if you are waiting for a bungalow, for larger housing or for an area where there are few vacancies in a year, then you may have a longer wait. We are happy to advise you on how long you are likely to wait for an offer of housing.

How many offers can you have?
If you refuse an offer of housing, you need to let us know why you are refusing. You will be allowed 3 offers of housing, and if you refuse the third offer of housing, you will be taken off the waiting list.

When letting our properties, we take into account the areas you wish to be housed in, the size of your household and any special needs household members may have.

How to appeal against Pierhead’s decision
If you wish to appeal against our decision, please write to us stating why you think we have made a wrong decision. We will reply to you within 5 working days of receiving your letter, giving you a full explanation of how we reached our decision, and telling you how to appeal further if you are still not satisfied.
If you are appealing because your circumstances have changed or because we have not fully considered your situation, we may decide to alter your points if we are satisfied with the evidence.

If you still disagree with our decision, you have the right to appeal to our Management Committee to reconsider your case. An anonymous report is presented to Committee and you will be given their decision in writing. Their decision is final.

If you are dissatisfied with the result of your appeal or the way in which it is being handled, you have the right to make representations to the Independent Housing Ombudsman, Norman House, 105-109 Strand, London WC2R 0AA.

Transfers
Tenants who have held their current tenancy for 12 months may apply for a transfer provided they are not in rent arrears and their present accommodation is in good order.

It is the Association’s policy to assist those tenants who wish to transfer from one of the Association’s properties to another.

Tenants wishing to move are invited to complete a transfer form and the case will be assessed under our points system and given priority in accordance with their points score.

As our existing tenants who wish to transfer tend to score lower points than direct applicants, all transfer applications will automatically be awarded additional points. Should you still fail to reach the “points threshold” your application will be rejected.

In exceptional circumstances the following transfer applications will take priority over all other groups:
· It simultaneously enables an applicant in another priority group to be suitably re-housed.
· They are likely to assist the development programme.
· They enable the re-housing of a decanted tenant
· They will result in better management arrangements