Harborough Homesearch uses a banding scheme to prioritise applications in accordance with housing need.
All housing applications received for rented accommodation will be assessed and placed in one of 4 bands. The table below sets out the banding scheme and gives examples of those applicants who would be eligible to be placed in each band.
| Band | Criteria | Examples |
| Priority | Emergency and high priority |
Home seekers who meet the requirement of the Preference Housing Need Band and have been assessed as having an emergency need to move, for example Homeless households, home seekers with urgent medical and or welfare need or multiplicity of need. |
|
Preference Plus
|
Identified housing need
|
A home seeker who has been assessed as meeting the Preference Housing Need Band and has two or more needs from different sections of the policy such as Homeless households, Poor housing conditions, Medical need or Welfare need to move |
|
Preference |
A need to move |
Home seekers will normally be assessed in this housing need band when they have a local connection with the Harborough District and meet one of the following criteria: Currently reside in the district on a permanent basis or have lived in the district for at least 6 months out of the last 12 months or have lived in the district for at least 3 out of the last 5 years or they or a member of their household is employed on a permanent basis or a temporary contract of a minimum of 12 months within the district or they have parents, brothers, sisters or adult children(over 18 years of age) who have been living in the district for at least five years. In addition to a local connection with the district home seekers must have a housing need such as Poor housing conditions, Medical or Welfare need, or Living in Short term accommodation For exceptions to the rule of establishing local connection please refer to the Allocations Policy |
|
Potential |
Low housing need |
Applicants who have no local conection with the district or have rent arrears or other housing related debt, or are guilty of unacceptable behaviour |
Refer to the Home Search Allocations Policy for further detailsOnce bids have been received against each property home seekers in each band will be placed in date order. The applicant with the oldest date will normally have the highest priority. The date that is normally used for matching home seekers to properties is their registration date with Harborough Home Search or the date the home seeker moved into a higher housing need band.