THE system for allocating social housing in Cornwall is getting a revamp aimed at prioritising people with Cornish connections.

But with nearly 20,000 households on a register of people looking for social housing and only 2,300 homes becoming available each year, the system has been criticised for being open to applicants with household incomes as high as £60,000 a year.

Homechoice, Cornwall Council’s system for allocating social housing, is about to introduce new rules aiming to ensure homes go to those with a strong connection to Cornwall and who are in the greatest housing need.

A new website launched this week - www.cornwallhousing.org.uk/homechoice - aims to make it easier for people to set up a user account so they will be able to see their Homechoice application and bid on properties when they are listed.

The new policy will mean, for the majority of homes available through Homechoice, applicants will need to have a three-year connection to Cornwall. Similar qualifications will apply to parish connections.

Those households with an annual income below £30,000 will be prioritised when bidding for Cornwall Council-owned properties, which make up about a third of Cornwall’s 29,000 social housing stock.

Cornwall Council cabinet member for homes, Andrew Mitchell, said: ‘Demand for social housing in Cornwall is very high and will increase.

‘We are introducing changes to Homechoice because we need to ensure that the homes available are fairly allocated to those most in need and that those with a local connection get priority for housing.’

There are currently about19,500 households on the Homechoice register and every year, on average, only 2,300 social housing properties become available.

Cathy Hadfield, Cornwall Housing’s director of housing options, said: ‘The Homechoice changes emphasise that Cornwall’s social housing system is based on choice and is not a waiting list.

‘Applicants in housing need must actively seek and express interest in suitable housing.

‘When an applicant bids on a property, they are putting themselves forward to be considered for that property.’

Applicants who do not apply for suitable properties, or refuse two suitable properties in a 12-month period, will be removed from the Homechoice register.

People with household incomes of £60,000 or more, or with assets worth more than £50,000, will not be allowed to join the register.

Cllr Mitchell said: ‘We are working with partners to acquire and build new homes and looking at innovative ways to address the high demand for social housing.’

Current Homechoice applicants do not need to register a new housing application. Their current application will be ‘transferred’ to the new system.

Current applicants will only need to set up a user account on the new website to access their housing application.

Once a user account has been set up, applicants will be able to see their Homechoice application and bid on properties when they are listed.

Families and individuals can get specialist housing advice and support from Cornwall Housing at www.housingoptionscornwall.co.uk