Ashford Housing Allocation Policy

Introduction

The need for social rented homes in Ashford far outweighs the current provision. It is therefore of critical importance that Ashford Borough Council (ABC) allocate homes to those who need them, whilst dealing sensitively with a wide range of needs and types of households who may apply to join the housing register.

The council has approved a new Housing Allocation Policy, implemented in April 2026. This updated policy replaces the previous Lettings Policy and aims to provide a clearer, fairer and more consistent approach to allocating social housing within the borough.

The new Allocation Scheme quota system is designed to ensure that everyone with a housing need can be considered for accommodation, regardless of their level of need. To do so, each band will be allocated a proportion of accommodation, with a lower proportion awarded to lower need bands. This means that households are bidding against people with the same level of need as them.

Ashford Borough Council will amend your entry on the housing register whenever there is an applicable change in your circumstances, or when there is an alteration to the Housing Allocation Scheme.

ABC will notify you when your entry on the housing register is amended, explaining the reasons for any amendment. Any amendment that results in you being afforded a higher priority, will be given a new priority date. Any change that results in you having the same degree of priority, lower priority or entry into Band H, will retain your original registration date.

The main changes are outlined below.

Updated Banding Structure

The former five band system (Bands A – E) with multiple subcategories has been replaced by four simplified bands:

• Band H – Homeless (exclusive category)
• Band A – Urgent Housing Need
• Band B – Significant Housing Need
• Band C – Ongoing Housing Need

This structure provides clearer prioritisation and ensures homelessness duties are fully recognised.

Once a person has been assessed as qualifying, with a local connection and housing need, they will be placed into a band relevant to their circumstances.

Band H will only include individuals owed homelessness duties by Ashford Borough Council, specifically

Households owed one of these duties will only ever be included in band H, even if they would otherwise usually meet the criteria for another band. This is to allow a greater level of control via the proposed quota system for the management of flows into and out of temporary accommodation

Band A will include those with an Urgent Housing Need. This includes people
who are:
a. Overcrowded by 3 or more bedrooms.
b. Living in an unsafe home due to significant disrepair, domestic abuse
(with a local connection through residence, family, employment or
returning residence) or violence/abuse.
c. Experiencing a significant medical need to move.
d. Armed forces personnel.
e. Foster carers who need a larger home.
f. In need of a management move, as defined by the Council’s
Management Move Policy.
g. Care leavers who need to leave KCC accommodation.
h. Under occupying their current social rented home in Ashford by any
number of bedrooms.

Under-occupation has been included in band A to ensure that Ashford Borough Council can make best use of the stock of social rented housing within the borough for those who need it.

Band B includes those in significant housing need, who are:
a. Overcrowded by 2 bedrooms.
b. Living in an unsafe home due to disrepair, domestic abuse (without a
local connection through residence, family, employment or returning
residence) or violence/abuse.
c. Experiencing a medical need to move.
d. Required to move to prevent significant hardship.
e. Homeless as defined, but not owed a duty which would place them into
band H.
f. Required to leave supported accommodation.

Band C includes those who are:
a. Overcrowded by 1 bedroom.
b. Required to move to prevent hardship.
c. Experiencing any other housing need not specified in another band.

Revised Local Connection Criteria

The new policy introduces strengthened and more detailed local connection rules. Applicants may qualify through:

• Residence: At least 3 years living in the borough
• Family connection: Close family (parent, adult child or sibling) living in the borough for 5 years
• Employment: Working in the borough 16+ hours per week with employment expected to continue for at least 12 months
• Armed Forces: Includes bereaved spouses, reservists with attributable injuries, and adult children of currently serving personnel
• Domestic abuse: Moves made for safety reasons
• Returning residents: Those with a 10‑year historical connection whose residence was interrupted by exceptional circumstances
• Care leavers: Young people leaving care who continue to require support

Current Ashford Borough Council tenants are exempt from these requirements.

These changes ensure vulnerable groups and local households are better supported.

Effective Date Rules

The effective date system has been simplified to improve consistency:

• Moving to a higher band results in a new effective date
• Moving back to a previous lower band restores the original effective date
• Moving to a new lower band retains the existing date

Delays in providing required evidence (over 3 months) may result in removal of the registration date until documents are supplied

This creates a clearer and more transparent waiting time framework.

Updated Means Testing

The financial thresholds have been revised. Applicants may not qualify if they have:

• £16,000 or more in savings
• £23,500 or more in savings (for adults assessed by Kent County Council as needing care)
• £60,000 or more in taxable household income in the most recent tax year

These changes ensure the policy supports households in housing need while maintaining fairness.

Bedroom Allocation Rules

The policy retains existing age-based sharing rules and provides clearer guidance:

• Same-sex sharing permitted with an 8‑year age gap
• Opposite-sex sharing permitted up to age 10
• Defined processes for additional bedrooms required for medical reasons or overnight carers, including senior officer approval

This ensures consistency between needs assessments and the Choice Based Lettings system.

Bidding, Shortlisting and Direct Lets

Key changes include:

• A universal maximum of three offers before the effective date resets (excluding Band H applicants)
• A consistent shortlisting order: Band → Effective Date → Registration Date → Applicant Type
• Clearer criteria for direct lets, including emergency moves, risk‑based decisions, and decants
• Quotas used to maintain a balanced distribution of allocations
• Applicants will bid only against others within the same band

These updates create a more predictable and equitable allocation process.

Review Process

The review and appeals process has been standardised:

• Reviews must be completed within 56 days
• Applicants may provide written or verbal representations
• Reviews will be carried out by an officer of equal or higher seniority than the original decision maker