Changes aimed at ensuring residents most in need of a home are prioritised for social housing in Cornwall, will come into effect on April 1, 2025.
This follows a public consultation in 2023 and revisions to the council’s Homechoice Allocations Policy which sets out who qualifies for an offer of social rented accommodation and how homes are prioritised and let.
The introduction of the new policy will coincide with the launch of the Council’s new Homechoice website which will also go live on April 1.
Homechoice is Cornwall’s scheme for allocating homes to those in need of housing. It is operated through the Cornwall Homechoice Partnership, which is made up of social landlords who own and manage stock.
Olly Monk, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for housing, said:
“Demand for affordable housing in Cornwall far outstrips the number of homes which are available. Post covid, our housing crisis has become even more severe, with a doubling of the number of applicants for social housing and increasing numbers of families and people in temporary and emergency accommodation. We currently have around 25,000 households registered on Homechoice, with just 4% of homes becoming available to bid on each year.”
The new policy aims to ensure affordable housing is prioritised for those in greatest need, as well as reinforcing local connection criteria to support residents to live in the place where they grew up or currently live or work.
The previous allocations policy prioritised primary connection households – meaning, in the first instance, applicants could only bid for a property if they had local connection to the parish. This sometimes meant that greater priority was given to connection, rather than need.
The new approach means that in most cases the Council, will now consider applications from eligible households with a primary and secondary (surrounding parishes) connection together. The policy aims to balance the duties we have to prioritise those in most housing need alongside the importance for many parishes about local connection.
The new policy will be reviewed annually by the Council and its partners to ensure that it is operating as expected and, if required, will be adjusted to meet new and emerging needs for accommodation.
Find out more about the council's housing allocations scheme and changes to the policy
Read our Frequently Asked Questions about changes to the allocations policy and Homechoice portal
Story posted March 13, 2025