ABOUT 12,000 people will be taken off the housing waiting list as Cheshire West and Chester Council targets people in greatest need.
The revised Trust Homechoice Policy has been developed in partnership with Chester & District Housing Trust, Plus Dane Group and Weaver Vale Housing Trust.
Council spokeswoman Laura Johnson said there were 19,000 people on the list last year with little prospect of the majority meeting the criteria needed to secure a property. The new system aims to be ‘open and honest from the beginning’.
It will give priority to people with a local connection to the area and who are in employment, education or training to apply for a new home.
Letters have been sent out to people potentially affected. Anyone who feels their circumstances have changed and they may be entitled to be on the list is invited to reapply through the Homechoice website: www.trusthomechoice.co.uk, where more information is also available.
Chronicle reader Ray McHale, from Ellesmere Port, is annoyed at the way the changes have been handled. He said: “Apparently the letter contains no e-mail or telephone contact details – just the web address. They clearly don’t want to deal with loads of people ringing up saying, why have you taken me off the list? – which doesn’t strike me as good customer relations or service.”
The council takes over the administration of the Choice Based Lettings Scheme and the housing register from October 1, and people will be advised to contact the council for Choice Based Lettings enquiries from that date.
