'Inside Housing' reports that a local authority has pledged to give members of the armed forces priority access to social housing and has set aside 15 homes:
Wandsworth Council, which announced earlier this year that employed people would be given greater priority for council housing, said soldiers, sailors and air force personnel with an attachment to the borough will be given enhanced application rights.
The move follows an announcement earlier this year by Grant Shapps, the housing minister, that members of the armed forces would get top priority for all low cost home ownership schemes.
The proposal was voted through at a committee meeting at Wandsworth Council last week. It also means servicemen and women will be given support to locate and buy a home under ‘right to buy’ schemes.
Paul Ellis, cabinet member for housing at Wandsworth, said: ‘The move to civvy street can be a difficult and challenging time and if we can help smooth that process by making sure their housing needs are properly met, then that will be just one small way that we can repay them.
‘This new policy will have two central planks. For people who want to rent we have set aside a quota of 15 properties that will be available solely for armed forces personnel who have a link with the borough.
‘And if they want to purchase, by raising their eligibility status, they will have many more offers and much greater choice when it comes to deciding on the type of home they’d like to buy.’
Wandsworth Council was one of 29 local authorities in the country to win a bid for affordable homes funding.
- Source article, from Inside Housing, by Alex Wellman: Council allocations policy to favour armed forces
- Wandsworth Council - Community and Living - Armed Forces - Introduction
