1. What is the Home-Link Choice Based Lettings scheme?
2. Why change to a Choice Based Lettings scheme?
3. Who are the partners in the Home-Link scheme?
4. When did the scheme start?
5. Did the lettings policy have to change?
6. How does the new lettings policy work?
7. I have a medical problem...is this considered under the CBL scheme?
8. How do I find out what homes are available?
9. What is a bid...how do I place one?
10. Cananyone place a bid on a home they are interested in?
11. How long am I given to place a bid?
12. How is someone chosen as a successful bidder for each of the advertised homes?
13. How do I know if I have been successful in my bid?
14. Are all homes be let through the scheme?
15. Will the number of properties available increase under CBL?
16. What if I need some help to participate in the scheme?
17. Can other people have a say in how the new scheme operates?
18. What if I want to move from Forest Heath to another local area?
19. Where can I find out further information about the Home-Link scheme?
20. Who do I contact about Home-Link?

 1. What is the Home-Link Choice Based Lettings scheme?

Choice Based Lettings (CBL) is a new initiative that changes how councils and Registered Social Landlords let their homes. Under the current system, everyone who applies to the housing register completes a form giving details of their situation. The application is then prioritised through a banding system (formerly a points system) based on an applicant’s circumstances. As a suitable home becomes available it is offered to the person at the top of the list (the applicant who has been in the highest band for the longest time). This system allows an applicant to give an indication of the preferred area in which they wish to live, but they are not able to choose a specific property.

In February 2008 seven local authorities across the Cambridge sub-region introduced the new Home-Link CBL scheme. The new scheme allows people on the housing register to express an interest in an individual home (known as making a bid). Each fortnight, we advertise homes in a variety of ways, including on the internet, in council and housing association offices and in a property magazine. We provide details of what homes are available and there is information about the property itself, for example number of bedrooms, type of heating and other facilities.

By giving customers more choice we hope to build more settled and sustainable communities and give you more say in where you are housed. The Home-Link scheme is a more simple and straightforward way of letting homes and is open, fair and transparent.

The scheme helps people move across all seven local authority areas, as a proportion of homes are be advertised as available to any customer with a local connection in the sub-region.

 2. Why change to a Choice Based Lettings scheme?

Choice Based Lettings schemes have been introduced successfully in around of third of authorities across the UK and the results of the schemes have been very positive. Although CBL does not mean more homes are let, CBL schemes are more popular with customers, tenants and staff as they are a fairer, simpler way to let homes.

The Government requires all authorities and Registered Social Landlords (RSL's) to introduce CBL by 2010. The Government wants to achieve a number of objectives. Amongst these are:

• to empower people to make decisions over where they live and to be able to exercise choice;
• to help create sustainable communities; and
• to encourage the effective use of limited housing stock.

Most CBL schemes work under the same basic principals. However, every area has to deal with different levels of housing need and pressures of demand with local differences having to be taken into account. 

Information about Choice Based Lettings is also available from:

• Tenant Participation Advisory Service
• Choicemoves - the home of choice based lettings
• Department of Communities & Local Government

 3. Who are the partners in the Home-Link scheme?

The following local authorities are participating in the scheme:

• Cambridge City Council
• East Cambridgeshire District Council
• Fenland District Council
• Forest Heath District Council
• Huntingdonshire District Council
• South Cambridgeshire District Council
• St Edmundsbury Borough Council

East Cambridgeshire, Forest Heath, Huntingdonshire District Councils and St Edmundsbury Borough Council have transferred their housing stock to the following housing associations:

• Havebury Housing Partnership – working with St Edmundsbury Borough Council
• Hereward Housing Association – working with East Cambridgeshire District Council
• Kings’ Forest Housing Association – working with Forest Heath District Council
• Luminus Homes – working with Huntingdonshire District Council

We also advertise available homes managed by other housing associations.

 4. When did the scheme start?

The scheme started in February 2008. However, Fenland DC,will be joining the scheme in November 2008.

 6. How does the new lettings policy work?

Under the old points based system, people who required housing or a transfer were placed on the waiting list, allocated points according to their housing needs and waited until they were offered a home that will meet their particular needs. This was very complicated and difficult for customers to use in working out there own housing priority. With CBL, people are NOT allocated points; they are placed in one of the following housing needs bands that indicates their level of housing priority.

    A: Urgent Needs
    B: High Needs
    C: Medium Needs
    D: Adequately Housed.

All existing customers under the old system had their application re-assessed and were placed into one of the four housing needs bands. They were then written to before Home- Link started and informed of their new housing needs band and how to access the scheme. Whenever a new customer applies, they will be assessed in one of the above bands

Available homes are advertised widely and in many ways. You can see properties on the internet at www.home-link.org.uk or pick up the property magazine from a council office or from other access points identified on the home-link website and scheme guide. If you are housebound, we can post details of properties you are eligible for. 

 9. What is a bid...how do I place one?

Placing a bid does not involve the use of money, it simply means to express an interest in a property. You can bid for available homes, including by e-mail, using the automated telephone service, by returning a coupon in the post, or calling in to one of our access points. As the scheme is available on the internet, if you don’t have access to a computer, you could get some help from family or friends or visit a library with internet access.

 10. Can anyone place a bid on a home they are interested in?

Only customers who are registered with Home-Link are able to place a 'bid' on a property

When we advertise a home, we label it to say who is eligible to bid for it, for example the advert says the size of family the home is suitable for and if there are any age restrictions on the home, for example for sheltered housing. You can make up to three bids for available homes each fortnight.

 11. How long will I be given to place a bid?

Available homes are advertised every fortnight. They are advertised from 9.00 am Friday morning until 12.00 am on the following Wednesday. The phone line and internet site will be available over the weekend.

 12. How is someone chosen as a successful bidder for each of the advertised homes?

Following the ending of the bidding period, a shortlist is produced of people who bid for the home and met the property criteria. From this list, the home is offered to the person in the highest housing needs band with the longest date of priority. If the customer at the top of the shortlist refuses the home, it is offered to the second person on the shortlist and so on until the home is let.

If you refuse the offer, this will not affect your housing needs band, but we do encourage all customers to only bid for homes they are interested in.

 13. How do I know if I have been successful in my bid?

We contact the successful customer shortly after the closing date of the advertisement with an invitation to view the home. If you have not been successful, you are be able to see why not through looking at the feedback provided on the outcome of the advertisement. This is available on the internet and in the property magazine. The feedback includes details of the priority needs band and date of priority of the successful customer and the total number of people who bid for the home, but no personal details. Providing feedback is important as it allows you to consider if you are likely to be successful if you bid for a similar property in the future, or if you should consider bidding for different types of homes in different areas.

 14. Are all homes let through the scheme?

The vast majority of homes are let through the scheme, although a small minority are let directly to customers without being advertised. This is only be in exceptional circumstances. Details of people eligible for a direct let are outlined in the lettings policy.

 15. Will the number of properties available increase under CBL?

No, CBL will not produce any new or additional properties. The number of people wishing to be housed is significantly greater than the number of properties available and that will not change. However, CBL is a far more open, fair and transparent system for letting homes. Customers can clearly see just how many homes are available, how many customers are on the housing register and how successful they are likely to be.

We can provide other options to try and resolve your housing situation. This includes details on:

• A mutual exchanges available for existing tenants of councils and housing associations.
• Low cost home ownership homes
• Housing Association properties

In the future, we will be working with Private Landlords to advertise their available homes.

 16. What if I need some help to participate in the scheme?

It is very important that all customers are able to find out about available homes and participate in the scheme. Some customers may need some extra help to bid for available homes and we do everything we can to ensure all customers have support where it is needed. Evidence from other schemes has shown that family and friends can play an important role in helping some people and others receive support from agencies and groups. Councils and housing associations also help people where needed.

The partner organisations developed an access strategy to help us ensure everyone can participate in the scheme fairly. Follow this link for more information on the access strategy or to download the access strategy document.

We have worked hard to make sure the system is clear and easy to use, and we will continue to monitor it to ensure people are able to access the scheme easily.

 17. Can other people have a say in how the new scheme will operate?

The scheme is now operational but your views are still valued. Are you a home-link customer? Do you represent advice agencies, voluntary groups, statutory agencies, community groups, housing association staff, faith groups or disability groups? Do you offer support and advice to black and ethnic minority groups, homeless people, housing applicants and social housing tenants?

If Home-Link has a particular impact on you or the people you support and you have any views on the scheme or how you think it could be improved, we would like to hear from you. We will continue to monitor the scheme so any comments or views will be appreciated.

Contact home-link@forest-heath.gov.uk or call 01638 719350.

 18. What if I want to move from Forest Heath to another local area?

With the Home-Link scheme, a proportion of properties are made available to customers who have a local connection to any authority across the whole of the Cambridge sub region. This offers customers the opportunity to move between the various districts within the region, for example Fenland to Huntingdon, South Cambridgeshire to Forest Heath, East Cambridgeshire to Fenland.

If a property is available across the sub-region, this is made clear in the property label. The successful bidder has to meet any criteria placed on the individual property, for example if the property is a ground floor flat which has specific disabled adaptations, it is expected that the successful bidder has a need for that type of accommodation. The majority of homes are still let to customers with a confirmed local connection to the specific local authority. 

 19. Where can I find out further information about the Home-Link scheme?

Any updates or changes to the scheme will be posted on this website. You can also find out more information from the home-link website.

 20. Who do I contact about Home-Link?

If you have any suggestions, questions or queries about Home-Link or would like someone to come along and speak to your community or other type of group, please phone 01638 719350 or email home-link@forest-heath.gov.uk.