Housing Allocation Policy

Council housing is in short supply throughout the UK. The aim of this new policy is to ensure a fair and effective allocation of available council housing, while meeting the needs of our community and those who are most vulnerable.

From October to December 2022, we consulted on a new Housing Allocation Policy, which was approved by our Executive on 12 October 2023 and introduced in December 2024.

We're in the process of reviewing all current housing applicants to ensure the information we hold is accurate and up to date. Depending on your individual circumstances you will have already received a letter informing you how the new Housing Allocation Policy impacts you. Please contact the Lettings team if you feel there is a need to review your current situation. The team can be emailed on lettings@stevenage.gov.uk.

We fully understand the uncertainty that changes such as this bring and remain committed to supporting you. There is lots of help available, so please ensure you contact us directly so we can provide clarity or assistance where needed.

Sources of help

We’re trying hard to offer a network of support for people who are not eligible to join the council housing register in assisting you to find your new home.

Our team at Next Step Lets work with private sector landlords and tenants to ensure they match people to the right properties.

They can help to review your housing options, including how much rent you can afford to pay and if you have any additional requirements.

The service also offers rent and deposit loans for people who have managed to secure a private sector rental home on their own. For more information please visit Next Step Lets - Information for Tenants.

Our friendly Housing Options team is on hand to offer a range of advice and support to anyone with a housing issue.

It is also worth using the Housing Advice toolkit. This is available online and includes answering some questions to receive tailored housing advice and guidance to help with a specific query. You’ll also find a cost-of-living section detailing dedicated advice to reducing living costs and other funding sources that may be useful to you.

Other external partner organisations include those such as Citizens Advice too.

You can also find out more information below regarding the Housing Allocations Policy and other relevant documents:

Housing Register

If you have any queries or questions about the Housing Register please contact the Lettings Team or call 01438 242666.