Housing Options Guide

West of Scotland Housing Association

Background West of Scotland Housing Association’s aim is to provide good quality housing at affordable rent levels to persons in housing need.

The Association caters for both mainstream and amenity housing and has properties throughout the West of Scotland in Ayrshire, Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.

In South Ayrshire, the association’s properties are in Ayr, Mossblown, Prestwick and Troon.

The principles behind the association’s allocations policy are to:

• Allocate to those with high levels of housing need.
• Meet the needs and aspirations of existing tenants.
• Make the best use of available housing stock.
• Use the allocations policy to assist in the creation and maintenance of stable communities.

Tel:- 01563 573 636
Fax:- 01563 573 292
E-mail:- kilmarnock@westscot.co.uk

The association operates an open access waiting list. This means that anyone aged 16 or over can apply and be assessed for housing at any time, providing the association is satisfied that they will be able to maintain an independent tenancy or that support will be provided to assist them to live independently.

People living in all tenures of housing can apply. However, if you are living in supported accommodation we may want to discuss your application with your project worker.

To apply for sheltered or amenity housing, at least one member of the household should be over 60, or have specific needs and would benefit from the features of amenity housing.

Applicants wishing to apply for this type of housing should complete the standard application form, entering the codes for the amenity or sheltered housing developments you want to be considered for.

You may be asked to provide further information as the association intends to agree a separate policy for allocating these types of property, in the near future.

Nominations from the council

The association has an agreement where the council can nominate people from the council’s waiting lists. This agreement operates for 50% of the association’s vacancies.

The council will usually automatically nominate people on their waiting lists who have chosen the same area, size and type of accommodation that the association has vacancies in.

You are therefore advised to apply to the council for re housing in addition to W.O.S.H.A. You should also make the council aware you are interested in W.O.S.H.A properties.

Allocations Policy & Points System

To ensure that all applications are treated equally and fairly, points will be awarded based on your current housing circumstances.

The Association only allocates a small number of houses every year and are only able to offer to those in the greatest housing need.

The number of points awarded is based on various categories of housing need, shown in the table below.

Assessment Process

Once your application has been received by the association, it will be assessed by staff at the Kilmarnock area office.

If your application is accepted, your name will be placed on the lists for the house types and areas which you have requested.

The more points you are awarded the higher your name will be on the list. If two or more applicants have the same number of points, priority is given to the applicant who applied first.

If you want to move for medical or social reasons, you will need to provide independent confirmation of your circumstances and confirmation of your need for re-housing. This could be a letter from your doctor, employer, or other agency (e.g. Social Work department).

If you are currently, or have been a tenant of another landlord (including private landlords, other associations & the council), we will ask your landlord to confirm you have been a satisfactory tenant.

If an unsatisfactory report is received your application may be refused by the association.

Special Priority Cases

Applicants who are proved to be in exceptional need or suffering from severe harassment may be awarded priority for re-housing.

The circumstances of any such cases must be fully confirmed by independent sources (e.g. police, social work department etc).

Offers
The speed with which you are offered a property depends on a number of factors, including; the number of points you are awarded, the number of people on the list for any area or house type, and the number of houses that become available.

The association only allocates a small number of houses each year and therefore it is very difficult to predict when you might receive an offer of housing.

Before any offer of housing is made the association will carry out a home visit to verify your circumstances and to answer any questions you might have. If you live a long distance from the local office, we may ask a local housing agency to carry out a visit for us.

All offers of housing will be made in writing and the applicant will be invited to view the house on offer with a member of the association’s staff.

Applicants can refuse two offers of housing without being penalised. However an applicant who refuses a third offer of housing, without good reason, will have their application suspended for a 1 year period.

Balanced Communities

In addition to the standard rules governing the allocation of houses, Local Lettings Initiatives may be agreed where the association is convinced that specific targeted action is required to achieve balance and stability in particular communities or to achieve the aims of a specific development.

In such cases the normal allocations rules may be relaxed or altered in order to achieve these goals.

The stock owned by West of Scotland in South Ayrshire is shown below:-

Location of stock

• Property condition, security of tenure and shared amenity points are not
  included in the points system for transfers.
• Additional points may awarded for harassment (15), domestic abuse (12) and personal reasons (2)