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Part VI of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002) requires local authorities to include a statement in their social housing allocation scheme about their position on offering choice to applicants.
Choice-Based Lettings (CBL) replaces the traditional way of allocating housing under which housing officers seek to match applicants who have priority on the waiting list to available vacancies.
CBL allows applicants for social housing (and existing tenants seeking a move) to apply for available vacancies which are advertised widely (eg in the local newspaper or on a website).
Applicants can see the full range of available properties and can bid (ie. apply) for any home to which they are matched (eg a single person would not be eligible for a three-bedroom house). The successful bidder is the one with the highest priority under the scheme. Authorities provide feedback that helps applicants to assess their chances of success in subsequent applications.
A Choice Based Lettings Code of Guidance - Fair and flexible: stautory guidance on social housing allocations for local authorities in England - was issued in August 2008 on how to balance choice and need, and provides guidance on how to implement a choice based lettings scheme.
