Information Bulletin
25 July 2005
Common Housing Register
The Scottish Executive has awarded Shetland Islands Council funding of £10,000 per year for the period 2004-2006 to develop a Common Housing Register. This is being progressed through the production of a shared housing application form between Shetland Islands Council and Hjaltland Housing Association. This means that those applying for housing will no longer have to fill out two application forms; however they can opt out of being housed by either SIC or Hjaltland if they wish.
The money from the Scottish Executive will also be used to further develop the Housing Options Guide. The website will provide information on housing in Shetland across all tenure types.
Work on SIC and Hjaltland's shared application form has been taken forward by a working group made up of SIC and Hjaltland employees and a member of Shetland Tenants' Forum.
The benefits for applicants will include a wider choice of landlords and property types and will be a simpler and less time consuming way to apply for housing. It will provide a larger pool of applicants that should assist in the allocation process and will promote mobility between SIC and Hjaltland as landlords.
The working group has been meeting regularly since April 2004 and there has been significant progress. A new application feedback form has been piloted with both SIC and Hjaltland's current application forms and the results from this feedback will be collated and analysed on a monthly basis. The valuable information that we get from applicants will be used to help us to improve the housing application process and, in turn, make things easier for applicants and housing staff. Consultation throughout the development of the new form has involved staff and tenants of both SIC and Hjaltland, members of Shetland Tenants’ Forum, elected members of SIC, staff from NHS Shetland and members of the public.
The shared housing application form emphasises the advantages of joint working for agency and applicant, and will create a more efficient housing application and advice system that will bring welcome benefits to Shetland’s communities.
Existing applicants on both SIC and Hjaltland’s housing lists will over the next year be given the opportunity of joining whichever list they are not already on. If any applicants have any questions or concerns regarding their application, they should contact either SIC on 01595 744360 or housing@sic.shetland.gov.uk or Hjaltland on 01595 694986 or mail@hjaltland.org.
The new application form is available to download from SIC and Hjaltland's Internet pages at www.shetland.gov.uk/housing/HousingApplicationForm.asp. Work on the Housing Options Guide will follow the launch of the shared housing application form in Summer 2005.
Councillor Gordon Mitchell, spokesperson for Housing stated “A Common Housing Register for Shetland has been discussed for many years; but it is only recently that the many problems have been resolved. I am delighted that it will now finally happen."
Ends.