CONCERN has been raised over how houses are allocated to people in Basingstoke who are waiting for somewhere to live.

The Housing Act 1996 requires housing authorities to have an allocation policy and procedure in place and ss of March 31 this year, there were 4,742 households on the housing register in Basingstoke.

This included 1,157 families with young children and 187 with older children, which has become an increasing concern for councillors in the borough.

In Basingstoke, the bidding scheme is used which means the person with the most priority on the housing register gets to say if they want it or not first. If they turn it down, it will be offered to the person with the next highest priority.

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At a meeting of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council's scrutiny committee on Tuesday, September 19, members discussed how the allocation scheme works in Basingstoke and Deane.

Members were told that there are currently 1,235 (26 per cent) people on the housing register who have yet to place a bid on a property and 500 applicants (11 per cent) have never logged onto the system called Basingstoke Homebid.

Although these figures remain similar to last year it has led to councillors questioning if the bidding system is working for the borough.

Cllr Colin Phillimore said: "In the old days we had a housing register and if you were on it if people above you got housed you went up the scheme. The bidding system was introduced but does it really work for the residents and for their best interests?"

Head of housing and social inclusion for the borough council Kate Randall said the bidding system came into place to give the power back to residents "so they only have to bid on properties for which they are interested in."

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Cllr Paul Miller questioned why there is currently a  "statistical shortfall" and said it is a "concern for anyone who is representing their residents". 

Despite this, he said: "The authority is doing all it can but they [residents] don't seem to be helping themselves."

Councillor Laura James, the cabinet member for residents’ services and housing said "she is worried" and the council do need to find out why people are not bidding.

Cllr Phillimore suggested councillors should know who is on the register in their ward so they can assist them to bid so they don't miss out.