Reform-run West Northamptonshire Council is seeking to amend the local housing criteria in the area, citing the overwhelming amount of applications for social housing.
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The proposals are significant as they are a rare glimpse into how Reform UK could seek to handle the drastic undersupply of social housing in the UK. As Reform continue to build notoriety and dominate headlines, not a lot of noise has been made surrounding their housing policies, leaving many eager to pin down the specifics on Farage’s plan for the housing crisis should his party come to power. The most significant housing headline attached to the party came last month, when their ex-housing spokesperson made light of the Grenfell tragedy, reminding an interviewer “everyone dies in the end”, and was then swiftly sacked.
The council has received more than 13,000 applications for social housing over the last two years, and said the applications have reached 555 new applications every month since 2024. After carrying out a six week consultation on a new draft policy early in the year, the updated version will be put forwards in a cabinet meeting next Tuesday.
The new policy, the council says, will allow it to prioritise it’s scarce housing resources for those in the most need, whilst still acting “strictly in accordance with national eligibility regulations” as well as the council’s “locally agreed” criteria. Some of the proposed changes include applicants having to prove a stronger local connection to the area, or proof of employment in West Northamptonshire.
The current policy organises applicants in order of need from categories A to D, with A being the most urgent. This includes those fleeing domestic abuse, members of the armed forces with urgent need and care leavers. Homeless applicants who are not in priority need will be moved down to band B or C, referring to those who are homeless intentionally or who have previously rejected support.
There will also be punishments for those determined to have worsened their chances of finding a home in order to remain on the housing register, resulting in a ban from the register for 12 months. The same will apply to those who have refused suitable accommodation twice.
Shelter released a report last year discussing the allocations system in the UK, calling for urgent reform and claiming the system was excluding those who are in fact most in need. One of the key issues found in the report was the variation in allocation policy between regional councils and local housing associations, which could often see households being confirmed for homes only to later be turned away further in the process.
