Housing Allocations Policy

Key Worker Applications

Applications for housing a key worker will be determined by the Divisional Housing Manager. South Ayrshire Council employees are not included in this policy. Applications will be assessed against the undernoted criteria:

(i) the employer has advertised the post locally and no suitable or qualified applicant has been found before the employer places an advert in the national press.

(ii) the applicant permanently resides outwith a 30 mile radius from the place of employment

(iii) the applicant’s journey to the place of employment must be by public transport and take more than one hour.

(iv) the post is a permanent position.

(v) The applicant must have taken up the employment in South Ayrshire no earlier than 3 months before the date of application. If the applicant has not taken up the employment, the employer must confirm that a written offer of employment has been made.

Applicants falling into this category will be awarded a priority housing status (KEY). The registration date for the KEY status will be the date that the application is assessed as a KEY, even where the applicant has a current housing application with an earlier registration date. The applicant's position on the waiting list relative to other applicants with a priority status (PMED, PRIS, CCC and IC) will be determined by the date of their KEY registration. Offers will be made in strict date order.

Applicants under this category will be made one suitable offer of housing. An applicant who refuses an offer will lose his/her KEY status and revert to a general application for selection under normal rotation.

An applicant who is awarded a KEY status may choose any number of letting districts but will be held for all neighbourhoods, house and heating types in their chosen districts, unless there is a valid reason for not doing so.

CONVENER AND VICE CONVENER'S SUB COMMITTEE

The Head of Regeneration and Housing will determine any application for an individual case to be referred to the Convener and Vice-Convener’s Sub-Committee within five working days of receiving the application.

Applications may come from

The applicant or his/her representative
Divisional Housing Manager
Head of Social Work or Social Justice
Elected member

The Head of Regeneration and Housing may refer an individual case to the Convener and Vice-Convener’s Sub-Committee where one of the following criteria is satisfied:

The applicant’s circumstances are not covered by the Council’s Allocations or Homeless Policy.
The applicant’s circumstances are covered by the Council’s Allocations or Homeless Policy but there are exceptional reasons for referral as an individual case.

Exceptional reasons cannot be exhaustively defined but may include applicants who:

Are victims of harassment (as defined in S8 of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 as causing a person alarm or distress, or
Are victims of discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, personal or religious beliefs or sexual orientation.

Applicants who are awarded an Individual Case status (IC) will receive priority for immediate housing to suitable accommodation on the waiting list. The registration date for the IC application will be the date on which the committee decision is made, even where the applicant has a current housing application with an earlier registration date. The applicant's position on the waiting list relative to other applicants with a priority status (PMED, PRIS, CCC and KEY) will be determined by the date of their IC registration. Offers will be made in strict date order.
Applicants under this category will be made one suitable offer of housing. An applicant who refuses an offer will lose his/her IC status and revert to a general application for selection under normal rotation.

An applicant who is awarded an IC status may choose any number of letting districts but will be held for all neighbourhoods, house and heating types in their chosen districts, unless there is a valid reason for not doing so.