Guide to the selection of tenants & allocation of accommodation
The following is an explanation of the rules by which Stoll accepts applications for its accommodation and how this accommodation is let. Please use this guide to find out more about Stoll, and you are advised to read it carefully before completing an application form for accommodation.
What is Stoll?
Stoll is a charitable Housing Association in Fulham, established to house and provide care for ex-Service personnel and their families. Service is defined as firstly those who have served in the Armed Forces and Merchant Navy, and secondly those who have served in the Police, Fire Brigade, Railway and other Municipal Services. Stoll will also house other disabled people if there are no applicants in these two categories.
In carrying out this purpose, Stoll is committed to providing equal opportunities for all such people in housing need. Stoll wants to ensure that no application for housing or tenant applying for a transfer receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, creed, race, colour, nationality or ethnic / national origin, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable. Selection criteria and procedures will be reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that this policy is effective.
As a Registered Social Landlord receiving public funds, Stoll is committed to assisting the local authority meet local housing needs and will house persons referred by the local authority who comply with the Stoll’s rehousing criteria.
How do I apply for housing by Stoll?
You can apply to Stoll in any of the following ways:
1. By applying directly to Stoll offices or online at www.stoll.org.uk
2. By applying firstly to the local authority who may be able to refer you to Stoll (known as a “Choice Based Lettings Scheme Locata”).
3. By being referred by another Housing Association (through the HOMES Scheme).
4. By being referred by a Service Welfare charity.
5. By a transfer application (existing tenants only).
Although many of the existing residents are from the local area, there are no limits as to where people can apply from. All applicants must however, complete an application form and they will where possible, be visited in their present home. The applicants, including nominations from the Borough, will only be selected if they QUALIFY for housing.
How do I qualify for housing?
To qualify for Stoll’s accommodation you must be in need of housing or alternative housing and be able to maintain a tenancy. You must also meet one of the following criteria (which are considered in priority order):-
1. You have served either in the Armed Forces or Merchant Navy or are a widow or widower of such a person and you have. a disability of a permanent nature.
2. You have served either in the Railway, Postal and Municipal and Police Services, or are the widow or widower of such a person and you have a disability of a permanent nature.
3. You have a disability of a permanent nature.
You will be required to provide medical evidence to confirm your disability.
Although as a Charity Stoll seeks to house those who do not have the means to provide for their own housing, there are no income restrictions on applicants. Furthermore, no account is taken of an applicant’s ability to pay rent or other charges in selecting prospective tenants.
How are tenants selected?
Each application is assessed as to whether the above criteria is met and if they are, the applicant is informed and the application placed on the waiting list. Any application not accepted will be returned and the reasons for non-acceptance will be given.
An application may also be turned down if it is considered that Stoll will not be able to offer accommodation within approximately one year of the application being made. In these cases the applicant will be advise to re-apply at a later date.
Who gets priority for housing?
Once registered on the list, each application will be given a priority in accordance with a points system which measures housing need as follows:-
Housing Need No. of points awarded
Homeless or homelessness Imminent 150
Urgent medical need 100
Severe medical need 50
Moderate medical need 25
Property factors
Sharing facilities
(i.e. sharing with an unrelated person or family) 15
For each room deficient 15
Serious disrepair of the property
(where there is no reasonable prospect of that disrepair
being tackled). 25
Accommodation too large
(for each extra room) 10
Tenure situation
Staying with family or friends 30
Hostel or B & B 30
Where more than one applicant has the same number of points, priority will be given
firstly to an ex-Serviceman or woman, and secondly in date order of application.
How are the flats allocated?
In order to be fair to all applicants who have been accepted for housing, including existing residents wishing to transfer, a set of rules has been established by which any vacancy will be allocated. These rules may not however, account for all circumstances and the Housing Services Committee can direct alternative action in exceptional cases which can be referred to them by either the Chief Executive or Residents’ Association. The allocation rules are as follows:-
1. Priorities between existing residents, new applicants and other Council applicants.
Any vacancy that arises will be allocated either to an existing resident, or to a new applicant or via the Council’s Choice Based Letting Scheme (LOCATA) who will be prioritised as follows:-
a) Existing residents required to move as part of a refurbishment scheme or other works.
b) Existing residents required to move as a result of a statutory order on Stoll or where a tenant’s occupation of their present flat is seriously harmful to their health.
c) Nominations to Stoll in order for the Foundation to fulfil its commitments to the local authority and other housing associations.
d) Existing residents wishing to transfer on less serious medical grounds, or grounds of overcrowding or under-occupation.
e) Applicants on the Waiting List and in accordance with their points.
f) Existing residents wishing to transfer for other non-urgent reasons.
Within each of these groups preference will be given firstly to disabled ex-Servicemen or women and their widows or widowers, and secondly to those who have served in the Railway, Postal, Municipal or Police services, or their widows or widowers, and thirdly other people with disabilities.
2. Housing Need
Within each of the above priority groups there may be a number of applicants in which case priority between these will be determined by reference to the following factors:-
a) The applicants existing housing conditions.
b) The applicants ability to cope with those conditions.
c) How long those conditions have been suffered.
d) Other options realistically available to the applicant.
3. The Size of Accommodation
The size of the flat offered will depend on the number of people in the family to which it is offered. The majority of Stoll’s flats will be one bedroom and these will be allocated to single people and childless couples. The two bedroom flats will normally be allocated to only the following:-
a) Families with children.
b) Two adults not living as a married couple (e.g. brother & sister).
c) Single persons or couples who require two bedrooms for medical reasons.
4. Transfers
Applications for a transfer from existing residents will not normally be accepted:-
a) Under two years from the beginning of the tenancy.
b) Where there are arrears of rent.
Where exceptional circumstances apply these will be taken into consideration.
Tenants do have a statutory right to exchange their flats by assignment but for fuller advice on Transfers and Exchanges please consult the separate information sheet or guide.
How long will I have to wait for a flat?
Stoll, once it has accepted you on to the waiting list, will give you an indication of how long it is likely to be before an offer of accommodation is made to you. This will be reviewed regularly so that you are not left waiting indefinitely. If the wait is likely to be more than a year you will be advised to re-apply at a later date.
Who does the allocations?
Each vacancy will normally be allocated according to the rules by the Housing Services Manager and Tenant Support Manager but these decisions will be approved by the Chief Executive. The Foundation’s Housing Services Committee will regularly review allocations to ensure that they continue to be fair.
If you are interested in a particular vacancy, you must make sure firstly, that your application has been approved and secondly, that you have specified the right type of flat. You may only then be offered the flat if there is no other applicant with a higher priority who qualifies for the accommodation.
How many offers will I get?
There is no set limit to the number of offers but you will be told when an offer is made whether this represents the best offer which cannot be improved upon. If this is the case or if it is likely to be more than 12 months before a further offer can be made, then you will be advised that refusal would mean your application being removed from the Waiting List, and you would therefore be required to re-apply at a later date. It is important therefore that you speak to the Housing Services Manager before refusing any offer of accommodation.
Specially adapted accommodation
Some of the flats provided by the Foundation have been specifically adapted for wheelchair users. If you are occupying one of these flats as a result of your partners disability, and your partner leaves or dies, you may be asked to move to more appropriate accommodation provided by the Foundation, or resources available to the Foundation. If you are concerned as to how this provision may effect you then please speak to the Housing Services Manager.
Stoll maintains a separate waiting list for wheelchair users.
May I look at how my application is being recorded?
You have a legal right to view how information about your application is being recorded, and how this will be shown to you providing you give the Office adequate notice that you wish to see this. This will exclude any information provided to Stoll in confidence by a professional body or person such as a Doctor or Social Worker.
What do I do next if I want to apply for a flat?
If you are a tenant of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, then you must firstly contact the Special Needs Unit at the Housing Centre. Tel: 0208 748 3020
Tenants of other Councils or of Housing Associations should firstly see their Estate Officers or Housing Officer.
Otherwise you can apply directly to the Foundation by requesting an application form.
Where is Stoll?
Our address is:- Stoll
446 Fulham Road
London
SW6 1DT Tel: 0207 385 2110 Fax: 0207 381 7484
www.stoll.org.uk
Stoll is located approx. 100 metres from Fulham Broadway Underground Station which is on the District Line.
The No. 14 bus stops near the entrance, but the following buses also run nearby.
No’s 211, 28, 391, 295
2