Updated Housing Allocation Policy reaches an important milestone

Dorset Council has reached an important milestone in updating its Housing Allocation Policy for 2026–2031.

This follows a scheduled five‑year review to ensure the policy continues to meet the needs of residents. 

The policy explains who can join the housing register and how social housing is prioritised and allocated. The proposed changes are designed to make the system fairer, more transparent and more consistent. 

The policy and recommended amendments, discussed by members of the council’s People and Health Overview committee, will now move forward to Cabinet and then Full Council, with a decision expected by April 2026.  

If approved, it will replace the current 2021–2026 policy and is expected to come into effect later in 2026. 

One of the most significant proposed changes within the policy is the updated local connection requirement.  

Applicants without a proven local connection to Dorset will no longer be eligible to join the Housing Register, unless they meet one of the exemption criteria such as fleeing domestic abuse or have an accepted homeless duty. These include Armed Forces personnel and their families, people fleeing domestic abuse, those needing to move urgently for medical, welfare or safety reasons, and homeless households owed a statutory duty.  

Other proposed changes include a simplified banding system, which sorts applicants into priority groups based on how urgently they need housing. The most urgent cases go into the highest bands, while lower-need cases go into lower bands.  The band is based on factors like overcrowding, homelessness, medical needs, and special circumstances.   

The proposed banding system for the new allocation policy:  

• Band one – priority housing need 

• Band two – high housing need 

• Band three – medium housing need 

• Band four – low housing need 

The proposals include enhanced support for the UK Armed Forces community, including a dedicated banding category. These changes sit alongside wider updates aimed at improving fairness, transparency and consistency across the system. 

The draft policy was published in summer 2025 as part of a a 12-week statutory public consultation, attracting 713 responses from residents, partners and stakeholders. Feedback has directly shaped the final version now moving through the council’s governance process.  

Cllr Gill Taylor, Cabinet Member for Housing and Health, said: 

“These important changes will ensure Dorset’s limited supply of social housing is allocated fairly, consistently and in line with local needs. The strengthened local connection rules, clearer banding system and enhanced support for our Armed Forces community reflect what residents told us during consultation.  

The policy explains the rules for eligibility, qualification, reasonable preference ensuring limited housing is offered fairly, transparently and in line with the law.  

We are committed to keeping applicants informed throughout the transition and ensuring the new policy delivers for Dorset’s communities.” 

Following the comprehensive review, the updated policy proposes clearer criteria and a more streamlined approach, including: 

• A simplified banding structure, giving clearer priority based on housing need 

• Updated income and savings thresholds, replacing previous combined limits 

• A new method for assessing overcrowding, using the nationally recognised bedroom standard 

• Removal of housing related debt as a disqualification factor, supporting wider access to the housing register 

• Use of allocation quotas, helping the council manage demand across different needs 

Councillors voted against a proposal for a two-year local connection through family and recommended a five-year connection in the Dorset Council area.  

A further recommended amendment excluding housing register applicants who already own a property via a company scheme, was agreed.  

Councillors also recommended that the Right to Move for work, which currently applies only to social housing tenants in England, be extended to cover the whole of the United Kingdom.  

Applicants will be updated regularly with clear and timely information about how the policy changes affect them. This will help both current applicants and those applying from April. 

Findings to the consultation responses can be found here.