Housing

Local connection and access to social housing

This commitment involves changing legislation to enable service personnel to establish a ‘local connection’ so that they are not at a disadvantage when applying for social housing or assistance because they face homelessness.

What is local connection?

This is a criterion used by some local authorities to decide priority for social housing. Local connection is defined in the Housing Act 1996.  The definition has now been amended by the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008.

How does someone get a local connection with an area?

People can establish a local connection with an area because they work there, because they live there (or have done in the past), because they have family living there, or because of some other special reason.  At the moment, the law says that people serving in the armed forces do not establish a local connection with an area as a result of living or working there.

What will be the benefit of this change to the local connection rules?

The change will improve the prospects of getting social housing for people who have served in the Armed Forces in those areas where local connection is taken into account by the local council.

Will the change to the local connection rules mean that people who have served in the Armed Forces get priority for social housing?

Not necessarily.  Priority for social housing will continue to be given to people in greatest housing need, eg - people who are homeless, in temporary accommodation, or in overcrowded housing.   The change to the local connection rules will ensure that people in the Armed Forces, and those who have just left the Forces, will have their priority assessed against the same rules as civilians, and will not be put at a disadvantage.  

What about those leaving the Services who don't want to remain in the district they served in?

They will be subject to exactly the same criteria for establishing a local connection as a civilian housing applicant.  In either case, they may have a local connection somewhere other than the district where they have most recently been living or working.  This could be because they had lived or worked somewhere else in the past or because they have family members resident in another area.  In the case of someone who has served in the Forces, this could include residence in an area where he or she had previously been posted, or residence in an area prior to joining the Services.   

What are you doing to help seriously injured/disabled servicemen get appropriate priority for adapted social housing?

The Government has issued statutory guidance to ensure that seriously injured/disabled veterans get high priority when applying for social housing which is adapted to meet their needs, reducing their time on a waiting list for a suitable home. 

When will the change come into force?

The local connection provisions were implemented in December 2008 and the Statutory guidance was issued to local authorities in April 2009.

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