AN emergency policy is being put in place by a local council to help with housing pressures.

Carmarthenshire County Council will be considering an Emergency Social Housing Allocations Policy to focus the way residents’ housing needs are met across the county.

The policy – which will be considered by committee on Thursday, January 26 – will enable the direct matching of homes to those most in need, for example, the homeless, those at risk of homelessness or in urgent housing need.

It aims to allocate homes more quickly and to the residents they are most suitable for.

The proposed policy has three defined bands:

  • Band A: Additional preference – those who are homeless, at risk of homelessness or have an urgent housing need.
  • Band B: Housing need: Reasonable preference – including residents who need to move due to medical or welfare needs, are looking to transfer to a smaller property, want to move from an adapted home they no longer need or are currently living in an overcrowded or insanitary property.
  • Band C: Applicants who have no housing need.

Any applicants who can financially meet their own housing need, do not have a local connection to Carmarthenshire or they or a member of their household have been found guilty of unacceptable behaviour will be given no preference under the policy.

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Applicants will need to register and re-register (after receiving the six-month and 12-month reminders) as well as use their account or bid for properties that meet their needs, otherwise they risk being removed from the register.

Cllr Deryk Cundy, chairman of the scrutiny task and finish group which developed the policy, said: “As chair of the cross-party working group that developed this emergency policy, I am delighted to be able to present this Emergency Social Housing Allocations Policy to scrutiny. I am confident that if approved this will have a major impact on the lives of residents in housing need in Carmarthenshire.”

The policy is the council’s first step in delivering on the Welsh Government’s rapid rehousing approach and if approved by the scrutiny committee, it will then be considered by the council’s cabinet before being submitted for full council approval.