Housing Options Team

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Housing Options Team Choice Based Lettings
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• Introductions
• Sarah Michael Housing Options Officer
• Debbie Lambert CBL Co-ordinator

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• Housing Options Team
• Homeless Prevention
• Homeless Duty
• Housing Options Advice
• Temporary Accommodation
• Choice Based Lettings

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• Why CBL?
• Government Driven Initiative, where all Councils
  in the UK will be required to introduce a CBL
  Scheme by 2010.
• CBL is an open and transparent way of allocating
  housing.
• Applicants are able to express an interest in
  available properties rather than being selected
  from a waiting list.
• The five Councils Taunton Deane, Mendip, South
  Somerset, Sedgemoor and West Somerset together
  with Registered Social Landlords are all involved
  in the scheme.
• There is a Common Lettings Policy and single
  Application Form which means better value for
  money through sharing costs and improved mobility
  across the sub-region.

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• Homefinder Somerset Common Lettings Policy
• The Homefinder Somerset register is an open
  register
• Applications will be assessed according to the
  level of housing need of individual applicants
• Once the bidding deadline has passed, the
  successful applicant will be the person in the
  highest band with the earliest application date.
  An offer will then be made subject to a visit
  from the potential landlord.
• Following each bidding cycle the Homefinder
  website and the newsletter will show details of
  the highest placed bid with the band and
  application date for the last weeks properties.

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• Bidding for a property
• Property Search available on Website, via
  telephone property line and Newsletters
• 1 week letting cycle
• Maximum number of 3 bids per applicant per week
• Start on Wednesday at 00.01
• Close on Sunday at 23.59
• No bids on Monday Tuesday
• All bids will be considered after midnight on
  Sunday

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• Facts Figures
• 2,553 active applications in Mendip
• 16,018 active applications across Homefinder
• 13,687 total bids in Mendip
• 96 bids via the internet
• 78 accepted offers to applicants living within
  Mendip area
• 483 property adverts in Mendip between -
• 1 April 2009 31 August 2009

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• How to apply
• Internet www.homefindersomerset.co.uk
• Paper applications available from Housing Options
  Team

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• Housing Options Team
• Contact us
• Telephone [phone]
• E-mail customerservices_at_mendip.gov.uk

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• Questions ?