Oxford City Council - Oxford City Council CBL Home Page

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Oxford City Council CBL Home Page

Welcome to Oxford City Council’s Choice Based Lettings

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*** NEW: Oxford City Council Tenancy Strategy and Policy Consultation ***

Oxford City Council is updating its Tenancy Strategy and Tenancy Policy, and we need your feedback.

Your views will help the Council and its partners deliver housing services that are safe, fair, and responsive to tenants’ needs.

What is the Tenancy Strategy?

The Tenancy Strategy sets out Oxford City Council’s expectations for all registered providers of social housing (housing associations) in Oxford when issuing and managing tenancies.

What is the Tenancy Policy?

The Tenancy Policy is Oxford City Council’s policy for managing council tenancies. It covers the types of tenancy we offer to new and existing tenants and how we support tenants to maintain their homes successfully.

Why is it important?

The Tenancy Strategy confirms the Council’s expectations for tenancy management across all registered providers of social housing in Oxford, including Oxford City Council as a landlord.

How to take part?

The consultation is a short set of questions, which can be completed by going to the link on the Council website below:

Oxford Tenancy Strategy & Tenancy Policy Consultation - Oxford City Council - Citizen Space

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Are you missing out – could you be housed more quickly?

Are you overcrowded, homeless, living in otherwise unsuitable accommodation or an existing social tenant seeking to downsize?

Did you know there is a high demand for affordable housing in Oxford and only a low number of properties becoming available even for those in high housing need?

Do you want to be able to bid for more properties in other areas too?

Would you consider moving outside of Oxford to an area nearby to move more quickly?

Did you know there is limited space to build new properties in Oxford so to help the unmet housing need in the City there are some new properties being built in areas nearby and being let by other Districts as part of the Oxfordshire Growth Deal?

Where are these properties?

The first new affordable homes being built are in Vale of the White Horse District in and around Abingdon and local villages with easy access to the City and some of these properties will be available to Oxford residents (the others will only be available local residents who live there/with a Local Connection to Vale to ensure enough homes are allocated to their own customers in housing need).

How can I apply for these properties?

You will need to apply directly to the Vale of the White Horse District Council to join their housing register and provide any additional information they request to be able to bid on their separate Choice-Based Lettings system. You will not be able to bid for properties on the OCC CBL site and will be issued with a different reference number to bid with Vale.

For more details about how to apply and processing times please see the link below (or go to their website)

Home - White Horse Homechoice

The new properties are only being built in Vale of the White Horse – additional information will be provided in the future when developments in other Districts are due to be completed.

To find out more details about how to apply to each District please see the link below.

Affordable housing in Oxfordshire | Oxford City Council

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INFORMATION ABOUT CHOICE-BASED LETTINGS:

Choice Based Lettings is an advert based scheme used to allocate social housing. Rather than us deciding on which housing to offer the client, you can tell us which properties you are interested in (with restrictions for some Housing Applicants).

These properties are only available to eligible Housing Applicants registered on Oxford’s Housing Register.

Lettings cycles will start on a Tuesday and end one week later at midnight on the following Monday.

The Housing Register

Oxford City Council has formed a partnership with the major Registered Providers of Social Housing (Housing Associations) within the City. This is the Oxford Register for Affordable Housing (ORAH) Partnership. The Council maintains a common Housing Register on behalf of the partnership. There is a single application process for all housing and most social housing in Oxford is allocated through this scheme. More housing advice including how to apply for social housing is available on the Council website: Housing – Oxford City Council

The Allocations Scheme

The Allocations Scheme is the policy the Council uses to allocate social housing in Oxford and to prioritise those in housing need on the Oxford Register for Affordable Housing (ORAH) for offers of housing. A summary and full copy of the Allocations Scheme is available on the Council website (www.oxford.gov.uk).

There are currently over 3500 housing applicants on the Housing Register and only around 500 properties are expected to become available to let in Oxford this year. Due to the high number of households applying for housing in Oxford and the low amount of properties that become available each year many housing applicants will not receive an offer of housing. Only households in high housing need are likely to receive an offer of housing and some may have to wait many years before they are housed.

The Council works within the legal and regulatory framework governing the allocation of social housing. The Allocations Scheme seeks to balance local needs and aspirations with current legislation, guidance and best practice as well as local housing conditions.

For more information on Choice Based Lettings visit the Oxford City Council website available here.

Finding a Property

The available properties are advertised on this website. To help you decide which properties are suitable for you, click on the links below to:

If you would like help using our service, please contact us. Click here for more information on how to do so.

Housing Needs Team
Oxford City Council
Townhall
St Aldates
Oxford
OX1 1BX

Tel: 01865 249811
email: housingneeds@oxford.gov.uk

Problems with this website? Please contact us at housingneeds@oxford.gov.uk

For information in the language of your choice, please use the Google Translate service above.
If you feel that you may need further assistance, please contact the Housing Needs Team.