Thousands of ‘low priority’ Bristol families kicked off council housing waiting list

About half of the 19,000 families on Bristol City Council’s housing waiting list are being effectively kicked off after bosses admitted giving them “false hope” of ever finding a home.

Less than one per cent of the 9,500 households considered the least urgent are allocated accommodation, so there is “little to no chance of being successfully housed”, a report to the authority’s leaders said.

The city’s social housing is advertised on the council’s HomeChoice website, which people on the waiting list can bid on, with those in the greatest need usually awarded a property if it is suitable.

Cabinet members approved a radical shake-up of the scheme, removing the right of those in band four – the lowest of four priority bands categorising people’s need for accommodation – to put in bids for most homes, apart from older people looking for sheltered housing.

The changes also mean more applicants will have homes chosen for them, while care leavers, tenants looking to downsize and people at risk of homelessness, such as young people being told to leave their parents’ homes, will be moved up the list.

Parts of Bristol, including Fishponds, Hengrove, Horfield, Knowle, Lawrence Hill, Southmead and St Pauls, will also see local people given priority to stay in their communities.

The report to cabinet on Tuesday, April 4, said: “Even with major drives to build more homes or acquire property by other means, the mismatch between demand and supply is unlikely to change significantly or fast.

“There are currently over 9,500 households in Band 4. Based on the last two years’ statistics less than one per cent are likely to be allocated to housing, the majority being people who qualify for age restricted or sheltered housing.

“This shows that there is currently little to no chance of being successfully housed from Band 4 and being on the register may be giving people false hope.

“We don’t believe it is right to create a system in which people are encouraged / expected to bid when their real chance of being housed is less than one per cent. It is therefore necessary to manage people’s expectations more effectively.

“It also takes significant officer time to maintain the high number of applications in Band 4 who are highly unlikely to ever be housed.”

Writing on mayor Marvin Rees’s blog after the decision to approve the changes, Labour cabinet member for housing delivery and homes Cllr Tom Renhard said: “Sadly, the number of residents that require support with council housing massively outweighs the number of properties available – even as we continue to build record numbers of new homes to tackle the housing crisis.

“With such high demand, many residents who have a low priority housing need are unlikely to find a new home.

“Our view is simple – everyone in Bristol should have access to a secure, safe and warm home.

“Unaffordable rent prices in the private sector, soaring property values, stagnant wages, and an insufficient number of affordable homes are many reasons why we believe that what this city needs is more council housing, and also a better way of allocating that stock.

“We’re ploughing ahead with the first bit – building the first new council homes seen in Bristol in a generation.

“Since 2016 we have delivered nearly 240 new council homes to add to the housing register.

“As we move further into our plans for delivering new homes, we expect to see a further 1,715 new council homes over the next five years.”

Cllr Renhard said the council had reviewed how its housing was allocated to focus on those in greatest need, which was subject to 12 weeks’ public consultation last year.

He said: “The main change to the policy is that we will move to being more proactive in helping households find a home and ensure that at least half of all offers are made direct.

“We also propose to extend the use of local letting policies which will ensure that, where possible, people are supported into accommodation within a locality that they have a connection to ensure as little disruption as possible – be it to school, work, or other local commitments.”

The changes will be phased in over the next 12 to 18 months, with the drastic restrictions on bids from those in band four coming in once a new set of IT systems is in place from October 2024.

The cabinet report said: “Those who meet the age criteria in Band 4 would be able bid on sheltered or age restricted properties, or on properties that are advertised specifically as open to band 4 bidding.

“This group would be sign-posted to other housing options like private rented, shared ownership, and community led housing.”