Single waiting list ‘is better for all’
COMBINING the Guernsey Housing Association’s waiting list with Social Housing’s will bring more transparency in terms of how long islanders will wait for a property, the chief executive of the GHA has said.
‘Applicants may be offered a States property or a GHA property, dependent on what becomes available that meets their needs,’ said GHA chief executive Steve Williams.
‘It will also make it far more straightforward for applicants to apply with one list and more transparent in terms of how long they should have to wait. So, overall, the single waiting list is better for the customer and for the housing staff.’
States Housing and the Guernsey Housing Association announced earlier this week that their waiting lists would be merged.
The number of applicants on the waiting list for rented housing is 84, plus 241 existing tenants who wish to transfer to a more suitable property.
As soon as a property now becomes available, regardless of being owned by States Housing or the GHA, the next eligible applicant at the top of the list will be contacted to assess their interest in the property.
If an applicant refuses a property offer with no justifiable reason, they will fall off the top of the list.
‘There is no point in having a list with people cherry picking waiting for the ideal property to eventually become available, so if there are three refusals without reasonable grounds then the applicant will be removed from the list,’ said Mr Williams.
Transfers may be requested due to searching for a smaller or larger property, ground floor requirements due to limited mobility/health needs or other reasons.
The GHA is to keep the waiting list for partial ownership applicants – of which there are 98 on the waiting list – because the financial eligibility and assessment is different.
‘Each month States Housing and GHA house people, but of course new eligible applicants do join the list,’ Mr Williams added.
