Midlothian Council Approves New Housing Policy

Midlothian Council has recently made changes to its Housing Allocations Policy after consulting with tenants and stakeholders earlier this year. The policy, which is regularly reviewed, aims to prioritise applicants according to need and allocate vacant properties to those with the greatest assessed need, in line with current legislation and guidance.

Various groups, including tenants, waiting list applicants, stakeholders, and tenant groups, were consulted through surveys and public meetings. Based on the feedback received, the council has decided to make several key changes to the policy:

• Retain a points system for allocating housing based on applicants’ circumstances
• Introduce an online Housing Application portal for easy updates
• Align housing areas with community council boundaries
• Maintain letting targets at 60% for homeless households and 40% for general needs applicants
• Record homeless waiting time from the moment someone becomes homeless
• Increase points for applicants in specific situations, such as domestic abuse or support from housing projects
• Continue the Local Lettings Initiative for new builds, prioritising Midlothian Council tenants
• Review the suspension policy in line with legislation

Councillor Stuart McKenzie, cabinet member for housing, highlighted the importance of the Housing Allocations Policy in optimizing housing stock usage. He emphasized that the changes will help the council meet the community’s needs while complying with homelessness legislation.

McKenzie added, “We conducted the consultation to involve tenants in housing services management, and I’m pleased to see the interest from respondents in joining residents’ groups. These individuals will be contacted soon.”

The updated Housing Allocations Policy is set to be implemented later this year, reflecting the council’s commitment to efficient and fair housing allocation in Midlothian.