Have your say on our Common housing Allocations Policy – sessions across Angus

We would like your views on our draft Angus Common Allocation Policy.  The feedback you provide will help us finalise the policy. We are holding sessions across Angus in the coming weeks to allow you to share your views with us.

If you would like to attend any of the following sessions, or if you are unable to attend but would like us to contact you by email, please let us know by emailing TenantParticipation@angus.gov.uk.

Friday 24^th May – Cricket Café, Strathmore Cricket Club, Forfar 10 – 12

Tuesday 28^th May – Well Bean Café, East and Old Parish Church, Forfar 12:30 – 2PM

Tuesday 28^th May – Adult Room, Forfar Community Campus 6:15 – 7:45PM

Wednesday 29^th May – Well Bean Café, Café Project, Arbroath 12:30 – 2PM

Wednesday 29^th May – Mo Hub, Murray Street, Montrose 6:15 – 7:45PM

Wednesday 29^th May – Carnoustie Library, High Street, Carnoustie 10am – 12pm

Thursday 30^th May – Well Bean Café, Mo Hub, Murray Street, Montrose 12:30 – 2PM

Thursday 30^th May – Bruce House, Wellgate, Arbroath 6:15 – 7:45PM

Friday 31^st May – Community Café, The Crickety, Caldhame Place, Brechin 10 – 12

Wednesday 5^th June – Monifieth Library, High Street, Monifieth 2-4pm

We have pulled together the main changes as a summary and the full draft is also available. We would like you to take part in a short survey on whether or not you agree with these new changes.

Angus Homefinder: Problem with Bidding is fixed

We experienced a fault yesterday with our property bidding site and customers were unable to login. The contractor has now confirmed the issue is fixed.

Apologies for any inconvenience this has caused.

Have Your Say! Angus Common Allocation Policy Review

At the end of 2022, we carried out a survey asking what your thoughts were of our current Common Allocation Policy, Choice-Based lettings application, and bidding websites.

We have used the results to shape and develop the new proposed policy, along with housing legislation and guidance. The policy has been reviewed, and changes made to make it accessible to all and give priority to those most in need. We believe staff will have a policy that is clear, precise and enables them to carry out the role of allocation of housing successfully and make sure we focus on ending homelessness together. 

We are now at the stage we wish to engage with you again on the proposed draft policy before it is finalised for going to Committee.

We have pulled together the main changes as a summary and the full draft is also available for review. We would like you to take part in a short survey on whether or not you agree these new changes.

You can have your say through our Engage Angus site

We will close the survey on Monday 31 May 2024.

Angus Homefinder: Problem with Bidding

We are aware of a fault this morning with our property bidding site. Customers are currently unable to login to make bids. We have made our contractor aware and they are investigating the fault. Apologies for any inconvenience this may cause.

We hope to resolve this issue as soon as possible.

Angus Homefinder – Choice Based Lettings System Upgrade

Our contractor will be carrying out a system upgrade between Friday 29 March 2024 and Sunday 31 March. During this time, the service will be unavailable. You will not be able to register an application or login to your current application and there will be no properties to bid on over these dates.

There will be a notice on the Angus Homefinder website to remind you the service is unavailable .

We apologise for the inconvenience. The system will be available again on Monday 1 April 2024. However, there will be no properties to bid on until Tuesday 2 April 2024.

Angus Homefinder: The housing application review process is now complete

WE HAVE NOW REVIEWED ALL LIVE HOUSING APPLICATIONS ON ANGUS HOMEFINDER

We carried out a review of all housing applications over the last few months

What does this mean for you?

If you had a live application, we sent you either an email or letter to ask you to log in to your housing application and tell us whether you wish to stay on our housing list, and, if you did wish to stay on the list, you had to report a change of circumstances. If you can no longer log in to your account, it will be because you didn’t complete the review, and, as advised, those applications were cancelled.

If you wish to remain on the list

If this is incorrect and you do wish to remain on the list, PLEASE DO NOT REAPPLY, PLEASE CONTACT THE ANGUS HOMEFINDER TEAM AND WE WILL REINSTATE YOUR APPLICATION.

After 6 months of not hearing from you once we cancel your application, we will not reinstate applications and you will have to reapply which will change your qualifying date.

If you require further advice or assistance, you should contact any local library or ACCESSLine on 03452 777 778 or email AngusHomefinder@angus.gov.uk

Choice-Based Lettings – Christmas Arrangements

We have restarted the advertising of properties available for rent.

We will advertise over Christmas, but due to public holidays, we will advertise our available properties from Wednesday 27 December 2023 until Wednesday 3 January 2024.

Properties advertised on 18 December 2023 will still close as normal at 9am Monday 25 December but the next week’s adverts will not go out until 27 December 2023 at 9am and will close at 9am Wednesday 3 January 2024.

We will advertise as normal from Monday 8 January 2024 at 9am.

Angus Homefinder Choice-Based Lettings – a reminder

The Homefinder team has re-started a review of the Housing Register Applications. Please remember to check your email junk folder for our email inviting you to renew your application. If you don’t complete the review, your application will be cancelled. This is an automatic process and there will be no notification, to advise this has happened.

If you want your application to be reinstated, you will need to contact the Angus Homefinder team (ACCESSLine 03452 777778) within 3 months of the cancellation and carry out a review of your application before it will be made live again.

PLEASE DON’T TRY TO RE-APPLY, within 3 months of the cancellation, as we will just re-instate your old application. When allocating, we prioritise firstly by the band and then by date, re-instating your old application means you won’t lose any time already built up.

Update on Housing Services after Storm Babet

Please bear with us while we continue to deal with the aftermath of Storm Babet and the demand for emergency housing that this has created.

This is affecting our ability to deliver normal services from the Community Housing Teams across the whole of Angus.

If you are waiting to hear about the allocation of properties, please be patient, as the demand on our housing requirements have drastically changed, and we are now not able to allocate until needs have been reassessed.

Non-emergency repairs may also be affected as our contractors are working hard to fix damage caused by the storm.

If you wish to contact your housing officer or Community Housing Teams to discuss your housing needs, please contact ACCESSLine on 03452 777 778. Officers may not be able to accept direct texts or emails and we wish to avoid any unnecessary complaints.

We recognise that this is an extremely frustrating time, and we assure you that we are working hard to minimise delays. However, we would ask for patience and understanding at this time.

Choice-Based Lettings – Housing Application Review

As previously advised, we have started our review of the Housing Register Applications. Please check your junk folder for our email inviting you to review your application.

If you don’t complete the review, your application will be cancelled. This is an automatic process and there will be no notification to advise this has been done. However, if you want your application to be reinstated, you will need to contact us within 3 months of the cancellation to carry out a review of your application before it will be made live again.