How To Get On The Housing Register

Before explaining how to get on it, what is the housing register? The housing register is simply a list of people who are either waiting for a council house or are waiting to be re-housed by the council. As such the housing register is also often referred to as 'the waiting list'. There are a series of rules that govern the housing register, who is eligible for it, and how the process works once you are on the register. In order to apply for a council home, you need to find out the name of your local council, as housing is sorted out at a local level, so it will be through your local council that you will need to apply for council housing. The simplest way to find out your local council is via the government website at the following location: apply for council housing. Because each council has its own rules and demand can vary greatly, then the process and your experience will also vary greatly depending where you live, and your eligibility criteria. Usually you need to be 18 or more to apply, although in some places you can be just 16. Your council will usually be able to give an indication of how long you will have to wait for a property, and of course you may not actually be assigned one once on the waiting list. Councils use a grading system to work out who gets what, and when, these are based on housing need. Thus those who are homeless are more likely to get housed before those who are not. Once you have identified your local council, you should read their rules carefully. Most councils have clear and often fairly detailed information on their website about how they allocate housing and how the process works in that particular area, so taking the time to understand this can help you realise early on whether you are likely to be accepted onto the register, how your application might be ranked, and get an indication of how long it will take to be offered accommodation. Finally, some councils refer to the waiting list as a housing allocation pool, but the principle is the same with people eligible for help in the pool and also prioritised based on some sort of banding scheme. With some councils you do not fill in an application form but rather actually meet with someone from the council who will talk through your options and assess your need for social housing.