Have your say on how Eastlight allocates homes

Every year, Eastlight provides hundreds of homes for households who need them.

Unfortunately, the long waiting list for affordable homes means that we cannot offer a home for everyone.

That's why housing associations like Eastlight have an Allocations Policy, which set out how empty homes are allocated.

To move into an Eastlight home, customers apply to their local authority, which assess them to see whether they can be prioritised for affordable housing according to their allocations policy.

Most of our homes are let through Gateway to Homechoice, which advertises empty homes in Essex and Suffolk. Some local authorities, including Tendring, Chelmsford and Uttlesford, advertise homes themselves.

We set up a 'task and finish group' consisting of customers, staff and stakeholders, who have agreed this draft policy: Eastlight Draft Allocations Policy

When approved, it will replace allocations policies used by Greenfields Community Housing and Colne Housing before we merged.

One key decision was whether Eastlight should operate a "transfer list" for some homes which would only be available to existing tenants.  The task and finish group felt it would be more transparent to offer homes to all residents, while ensuring there are certain circumstances when existing tenants can move home where there is a clear need. See section 4.5 of the policy for more information.

We would like your thoughts on the policy before it is sent to the resident-led Community Gateway Group. To have your say, please fill in the short feedback form by Friday, 29 January. This form has now closed.