Housing Associations and Co-Ops

This page provides information about housing associations.

A nomination is an agreement drawn up between the Council and a Housing Association (Registered Social Landlord or RSL) that allows the Council to nominate or put forward applicants from the Council's waiting list (Housing Register) for rehousing in properties owned and managed by the Housing Association.

The Council has not been able to build houses for a long time whereas Housing Associations (RSL's) have and continue to build new properties.

When any Housing Association (RSL) builds properties to rent, a nomination agreement is signed that allows the Council to forward applicants from the Housing Register for all of the new properties. Although the Council can forward the applicant's details, the Housing Association still has the discretion as to whether they are accepted, offered a property or whether they are rejected due to them not meeting the Housing Association criteria.

Once the properties are occupied, the usual agreement is that the Council will be able to put forward nominations for at least 50% of all future lettings. The next time one of the properties becomes vacant it will be allocated directly from the Housing Association's waiting list but the time after that, the vacancy would be offered back to the Council to forward the applicant who is top of the Housing Register at that time and is suitable for that property in that area.

This is how the nomination agreement continues.

Applicants can only be forwarded when a request has been made from the Housing Association for a nomination at that particular time.