Housing Options Guide

Margaret Blackwood Housing Association

Background

The aim of Margaret Blackwood Housing Association is to enable people who have physical disabilities to obtain affordable housing in Scotland, by building and managing integrated developments in community settings and offering choices, which satisfy individual needs.

The association also seeks to provide, or secure the provision of, appropriate care & support, where this is needed.

The association provides services not only for physically disabled people, but also for those who are disabled by virtue of learning disability, mental health, sensory impairment. Services are also provided for older people and general needs households.

How to Apply

Margaret Blackwood’s tenancy turnover is very low and demand for properties tends to be high, so unfortunately there is a waiting list.

If you are disabled or someone in your house is disabled, contact the following area office for an application form:-

Margaret Blackwood Housing Association

Head Office

Craigievar House
77 Craigmount Brae
Edinburgh
EH12 8XF

Tel: 08457-125865
Fax: 0131-317-7294
E-mail: info@mbha.org.uk
Website: www.mbha.org.uk

If you are an older person or someone who is not disabled, you may be eligible for accommodation through Margaret Blackwood by nomination from the council’s waiting lists.

The council have a 50% nomination agreement with the association, this means that the council can put forward names from their waiting lists for 50% of the vacancies which arise.

Allocation Policy & Points System

Separate waiting lists are held for each development and applicants can have their name on the waiting list for up to five different developments.

If there is no property of a suitable type or size and the association is unlikely to be able to satisfy the applicant’s housing needs, then it is unlikely that he/she will be accepted on to the waiting list.

Prioritisation for allocation is designated through two separate pointing systems, one for wheelchair / mobility applicants and the other for elderly amenity / mainstream applicants.

Points System for Wheelchair / Mobility Housing

Priority for wheelchair / mobilty applicants is particularly related to physical
disability and inappropriate independence / support levels.

Points Category	Category Points
Current Accommodation	In family home & wishes to live independently - 5 points No permanent accommodation and living temporarily with friends or relatives - 10 points Lodger in a hostel, B & B or temporary homeless accommodation - 10 points Household split because accommodation unsuitable and for reasons other than disability - 10 points In residential care / hospital - 10 points N.B.Points will only be awarded for one category in this section
Homelessness	Applicant statutorily homeless or is unable to continue to safely reside in the property (e.g. because of domestic abuse or racial harassment) - 20 points OR Applicant threatened with homelessness - 10 points OR Applicant wishes and would be capable of living independently outwith hospital/residential care, but has no accommodation or is unable to return to former home because it is unsuitable due to his/her disability - 20 points
Domestic Abuse / Harassment / Anti-social behaviour * (*one category only)	At risk of violence (e.g. because of racial or other form of harassment or serious relationship breakdown within the home - 15 points Suffering from nuisance, vandalism or anti social behaviour - 5 points
Social Isolation / Economic Reasons	Accommodation isolated, not easily accessible to social amenities and applicant relies on and has difficulty with public transport - 10 points Accommodation options limited to one particular area because of employment, education or for an other reason than to receive support - 10 points
Overcrowding / Under Occupancy	Each additional bedroom required - 5 points Property under occupied by more than one bedroom - 5 points (in total)
Requirement for disabled housing (Total to include either A or B, although there can be separate totals using each of these if allocation of both types of housing would be appropriate)	For Wheelchair Housing Always uses a wheelchair - 50 points OR Sometimes uses a wheelchair indoors but has seriously restricted mobility and / or has a progressive condition that will further restrict mobility - 30 points For Mobility Housing Severe mobility problems and standard ground floor housing would not be appropriate - 30 points OR Difficulties with mobility but minor adaptations to standard ground floor housing would be sufficient - 15 points
Independence / Support	Applicant wishes to move to greater independence outwith sheltered housing or group home - 10 points OR Applicants needs essential support and moving to a MBHA development would facilitate support - 10 points
Access & Amenities of Present Housing	Points will be awarded in this section or in the “homelessness” category (as above), whichever is greater Applicant can’t use kitchen facilities either because there is not one or because disability prohibits use. - 6 points OR Use of kitchen facilities limited because kitchen shared with another household or it is unsuitable due to disability - 3 points Applicant can’t use bathroom facilities either because there is not one or because disability prohibits use. - 6 points OR Use of bathroom facilities limited because bathroom shared with another household or it is unsuitable due to disability - 3 points Living room and bedroom are not separate, either because applicant occupies bedsit or because one room is inaccessible due to disability - 3 points Difficulty of access makes going outdoors :- Difficult - 3 points Impossible - 10 points
Discretionary Points Adjustment	Maximum - 20 points

Points System for Elderly Amenity & Mainstream Housing

Priority for elderly amenity & mainstream applications is determined by more general aspects of housing need.

Points Category	Category Points
Current Accommodation	In family home and wishes to live independently - 5 points No permanent accommodation and temporarily staying with friends relatives - 10 points Lodger in a hostel, B&B or temporary homeless accommodation - 10 points Household split because accommodation unsuitable and for reasons other than disability - 10 points In residential care / hospital - 10 points Sleeping rough - 20 points
Homelessness	Applicant statutorily homeless or is unable to continue to safely reside in the property (e.g because of domestic abuse or racial harassment) - 20 points OR Applicant threatened with homelessness - 10 points OR Applicant wishes and would be capable of living independently outwith hospital/residential care, but has no accommodation OR is unable to return to former home because it is unsuitable due to his/her disability - 20 points
Domestic Abuse / Harassment / Anti-social behaviour * (*one category only)	At risk of violence (e.g. because of racial or other form of harassment or serious relationship breakdown within the home - 15 points Suffering from nuisance, vandalism or anti social behaviour - 5 points
Social Isolation / Economic Reasons	Accommodation isolated, not easily accessible to social amenities and applicant relies on and has difficulty with public transport - 10 points Accommodation options limited to one particular area because of employment, education or for an other reason than to receive support - 10 points
Overcrowding / Under Occupancy	Each additional bedroom required - 5 points Property under occupied by more than one bedroom - 5 points (in total)
Medical Need* (*Points awarded for one category only)	Present home unsuitable due to a medical condition and the nominating council certifies medical need - 20 points Elderly person living in a flat more than one floor up and no lift - 5 points
Independence / Support	Applicant wishes to move to greater independence outwith sheltered housing or group home – 10 points OR Applicants needs essential support and moving to a MBHA development would facilitate support – 10 points
Access & Amenities of Present Housing	Points will be awarded in this section or in the “homelessness” category (as above), whichever is greater Lack of availability of one or more of the following amenities;toilet, bath/shower, hot water supply, kitchen -10 points OR Shared use of one or more of the following amenities; toilet,bath/shower, hot water supply, kitchen - 6 points Poor state of repair - 6 points No central heating or inadequate/ inappropriate heating supply - 3 points Living room and bedroom not separate - 3 points Cannot manage gardens because of old age or ill health - 3 points
Discretionary Points Adjustment	Maximum 20 points

Offers of housing

You will be notified in writing of any offer of housing and you will have 5 days to accept the offer.

If you do not respond, it will be assumed that you do not wish to accept the offer and the property will be offered to someone else.

There is no penalty for not accepting an offer or for failing to respond to an offer letter.

Transfers

Current tenants of Margaret Blackwood Housing Association can apply for a transfer to another property at any time.

However, applications may be refused where a tenant has record of persistent failure to observe the conditions of their tenancy.

Where the tenant has rent arrears the association will consider the circumstances in which the arrears have risen and the tenant’s commitment to reducing the arrears.

The tenant will be required to satisfy the association of their intention to work with all appropriate agencies to sustain a satisfactory tenancy.

H.O.M.E.S Mobility Scheme

Applications from persons nominated by other social landlords through the HOMES mobility scheme, will be accepted on to the associations waiting list, provided that:-

The applicant has a physical disability and requires specially designed housing.
The association has a property of a suitable size at the requested location.

Nominations

In order to continually identify disabled people who are in greatest housing need, the association annually contacts the council to remind them of the type of property the association provides in the area and to invite nominations for the wheelchair and mobility waiting lists.

The association also works in partnership with other relevant organisations (e.g. The Disabled Persons Housing Service), in order to encourage applications from people who are in need of specially designed housing.

Review of applications

All applications will be reviewed on an annual basis with applicants being asked to confirm that they still wish to be considered for re-housing by the association.

Applicants will also be required to confirm that their circumstances have remained the same. Applicants will be advised in writing that their application will be cancelled if they fail to respond to review letters.

Stock Location & Type
The association’s South Ayrshire stock is detailed in the table below. Further details on each development and on other developments outwith South Ayrshire, are detailed on the association’s website:- www.mbha.org.uk .

Location	Wheelchair (* supported)	Elderly Amenity (1st Floor)	General Needs (2nd Floor)
Mill Street,Ayr	1 Bedroom (4) 2 Bedroom (4) 3 bedroom (1)	1 Bedroom (4) 2 Bedroom (1)	1 Bedroom (4) 2 Bedroom (1)
St Leonard’s Court & St Leonard’s Road, Ayr	1 Bedroom (5)* 2 Bedroom (4)* 3 Bedroom (3)*	1 Bedroom (6) 2 Bedroom (6)	1 Bedroom (5) 2 Bedroom (2)

Rent Levels

Rents vary within different developments, however example rents are listed below:-

1 bedroom wheelchair property £225 per calendar month
2 bedroom wheelchair property £268 per calendar month
1 bedroom amenity property £220 per calendar month

Rent and service charges are normally reviewed on an annual basis. All properties also have service charge elements, which are variable. These currently range form £18 to £24 per calendar month.

All tenants receive a detailed Service Charge Statement every year.