Whilst we can all appreciate the frustration of families without a home of their own or living in unsuitable accommodation I need to correct some of the assertions made in the letter published by you on November 2 entitled "A waiting game".
The Gloucestershire Homeseeker housing allocations scheme has now been in place for over three years. Over one thousand households locally have successfully used the system to acquire a new home for themselves. The system is not much different to the previous waiting list system in that priority is still based on housing need. If anyone is still having difficulty in accessing the system they should contact the council's housing options team on 01594 812303.
The council's housing stock was passed over to Forest of Dean Housing (now Two Rivers Housing) in 2003. The council does retain nomination rights to the majority of properties and these are made through the Gloucestershire Homeseeker system.
Applicants are able to apply from outside the district, as with the previous system but priority is given to those with a local connection to the Forest of Dean District. In this day and age people do have to be mobile to seek work and to give and receive support. The council ensures, by working with other councils, that those who need to move away from the district for these reasons are able to do so as much as those moving into the district. This being said there are very few allocations in this district to those without a local connection each year.
There is little evidence of people deliberately worsening their circumstances in order to improve their chances of housing. This is a risky strategy. Each applicant's circumstances are confirmed and verified before accommodation can be offered. There is provision within the council's allocation policy for reducing a household's priority if it is apparent that someone has acted in this way.
I am unable to comment on individual cases but with the size of the family mentioned there will usually be a longer waiting time as larger properties do not exist to any great extent in the housing stock. If a family is adequately housed, whether this is in a private rented or a housing association property they will not be given as much priority for a move as others who aren't.
Again I am aware that families are struggling to find suitable accommodation for themselves that they can afford. To respond to this the council is working hard with its partners to increase the amount of affordable housing becoming available for local families.
– Cllr Terry Hale, cabinet member for the community, Forest of Dean District Council.